Formula 1: Kimi Raikkonen is best in Bahrain

Kimi Raikkonen has thrown his hat into the ring for victory in tomorrow’s Bahrain Grand Prix after he topped the timesheet at the end of yesterday’s two 90-minute sessions at the 5.412km track.

Winner in the season-opening race in Australia and second in China on Sunday, the 2007 world champion trails Sebastian Vettel by three points in the standings after three races.

After finishing runner-up at the desert-based Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir last year, Raikkonen would naturally love to go one better 12 months on. On the quicker medium-compound Pirelli, with the hard rubber the other tyre to be used this weekend, the Lotus driver’s best of his 31 laps was with a time of one minute 34.154secs.

The Finn was ahead of Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Vettel by 0.030secs and 0.128secs.