Cooler race night weather could be a relief to Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has warned Ferrari’s performance in hotter conditions could make them stronger rivals this weekend in Bahrain.

The Bahrain International Circuit will be baking hot as usual for the third round of the world championship. But race day will bring a significant dip in temperatures which may blunt Ferrari’s expected hot track advantage.

Conditions will be seriously hot when first practice begins at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon. The air temperature could nudge as high as 40C on what is expected to be the hottest of the three days. The sun will have gone down by the time second practice begins, causing a rapid drop in temperatures. But even these won’t be quite as low as are expected on Sunday.

Saturday’s conditions will be much the same as Friday’s, perhaps a touch cooler. However a cloudy day on Sunday should keep temperatures well beneath their usual levels. By race start time the air temperature is forecast to me a much more comfortable 25C.

For more updates on the track conditions during each session keep an eye on F1 Fanatic Live and the F1 Fanatic Twitter account.

Location of Bahrain International Circuit

See the location of every race on the 2017 F1 calendar here:

• 2017 F1 calendar

2017 Bahrain Grand Prix