'I'm just realistic' - Hamilton writes off Bahrain chances after disappointing practice showing

 • Mercedes seemed to have struggled during the first day of practice in Bahrain. • Lewis Hamilton has written off any chance of podium on Sunday. • Max Verstappen seems to be challenged by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz this weekend. • For more stories, visit Wheels24.

Lewis Hamilton said he would not be able to win Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix after he finished a distant ninth in practice.

Hamilton arrived for the opening round of the Formula One season, fearing his Mercedes machine would not be a contender for victory. And while times in practice are treated with caution as teams trial different tyres, fuel loads, and engine settings, Hamilton's concerns became a reality.

The Briton, seventh in the first action of the day, then finished an eye-watering 1.2 seconds behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen – the man who denied him a record eighth title at last season's contentious decider in Abu Dhabi – and six tenths adrift of his new Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Ferrari followed up their encouraging pre-season form, with Charles Leclerc second and Carlos Sainz third in the other scarlet car. Russell finished fourth.

"I am just realistic, and at the moment, like I told you last week, we are not going to be in the race for a win," said Hamilton.

"If you look at the Red Bulls, they are a long, long way ahead, in the region of eight to nine-tenths, and Ferrari is half a second to six tenths ahead.

"So we are a long way off, and we are not bluffing like people assumed we were.

"We have had minor problems in the past, but we are faced with much, much bigger problems this year, and everything we do to try and fix it doesn't really change that.

"It appears as though this will be a long-term fix and not one for the short term.

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