Bahrain

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was 0.388 seconds quicker than Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes to take a stunning pole position at the F1 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas was third, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly's Alpha Tauri.

After the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco now also wants to normalize relations with Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump declared via Twitter that the two states had agreed to establish "full diplomatic relations." Liaison offices were to be opened immediately in Rabat and Tel Aviv, and ultimately there would also be the opening of reciprocal embassies.

Sergio Perez celebrated Sunday his first-ever Formula 1 victory at the Sakhir GP. Renault's Esteban Ocon and Racing Point's Lance Stroll completed the podium on a wild evening in Bahrain.

Carlos Sainz finished fourth, ahead of Renault's Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull's Alex Albon.

Mick Schumacher is the Formula 2 champion in 2020, finishing 18th, but still saving his 14-point lead over rival Callum Ilott, who only placed tenth.

Two-time season winner Schumacher started the 24th and last race of the season in Bahrain with a 14-point lead over UNI-Virtuosi driver Ilott. Only 17 points were left to win, Ilott would have had to finish at least second and complete the fastest lap to catch Schumacher.

Valtteri Bottas is on pole position for the Sakhir Grand Prix, in Bahrain. Bottas, finished ahead of Mercedes team-mate George Russel, acting as a stand-in for Lewis Hamilton who was forced to miss the event having tested positive forCovid-19.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen took the third place, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc the fourth position, and Sergio Perez will start in the fifth position.

The Sakhir Grand Prix starts takes place Sunday at 17:10(UTC).

Hamilton, who celebrated his seventh title two weeks ago, had a comfortable 0.289 seconds lead to Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and collected the 98th pole of his Formula 1 career.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon were third and fourth, with Sergio Perez in the fifth position.

Renault's Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon were sixth and seventh, separated by just 0.002secs, ahead of Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris.

The Independent reports that public records show exports of security technology from the United Kingdom to repressive regimes despite rules to prevent it. Security technology such as wiretaps, spyware and other telecommunications interception equipment shouldn't be exported to regimes that might use them for internal repression purposes.

Public records show that despite the rules exports worth £75 million have been approved to 17 countries including China, Saudia Arabia, the United Arba Emirates and Bahrain. All 17 states have been rated "not free" by the Non-Governmental Organisation Freedom House.