Ahead of today's sole practice session the air temperature is 21 degrees C, while the track temperature is 34 degrees. Thankfully it is less windy than yesterday.
Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2 in yesterday evening's session, ahead of Alonso, Sainz and Piastri, and while the seven-time world champion admitted to being shocked by the Q15's pace there remain question marks over fuel loads and particularly engine modes.
Indeed, the true pecking order remains a mystery... for now.
And that question mark in terms of the pecking order doesn't apply to the big guns, for the true (current) pace of the entire field remains a mystery. Then again, there's single lap pace and race pace.
As was the case with yesterday's opening session, the next hour is somewhat unrepresentative due to the timing and the conditions.
With the mediums used throughout FP1 and the softs for much of FP2 we expect to see the hards make their debut over the next hour as the teams look ahead to tomorrow.
The lights go green but there is no immediate rush to action, indeed a number of drivers, including Piastri, are not even in their cars.
It is six minutes before a driver finally deigns to entertain the crowd... it's Hamilton... on softs.
He crosses the line at 32.733.
As the Mercedes driver subsequently pits it is Sainz who heads out, followed by his Ferrari teammate.
As Sainz begins his first flying lap, Zhou, Albon and Bottas head out along with the Haas pair.
Sainz posts a 32.762 - 0.029s down on Hamilton - while Leclerc stops the clock at 32.677 to go top, having been quickest in the final two sectors.
Perez heads out on hards as Magnussen goes quickest with a 32.440.
Stroll goes quickest (32.327) on the softs as Perez posts a 33.365 on the hards, 1.038s off the pace.
Norris goes third as Verstappen heads out on hards, Red Bull underlining its obvious confidence.
Russell (softs) goes top with a 31.821 as Verstappen posts a 33.215 to go tenth.
Leclerc improves (32.025) but remains second to Russell.
Alonso goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 31.582.
Sargeant, Ricciardo, Tsunoda and the Alpine pair are the only drivers yet to post times.
"Still the upshift is really bad," reports Perez.
Albon goes 7th with a 32.495 as Ricciardo goes tenth with a 32.772, just ahead of his RB teammate (32.845).
Ocon and Gasly are the last drivers to post times, the former going 12th with a 33.003 and the latter 17th with a 33.112.
Looking ahead to Sunday's opening stint, the majority of drivers continue on their softs.
Magnussen asks if anyone is able to manage a second push lap on the softs.
At which point, on his second push lap, Tsunoda improves to fourth (32.161) having gone quickest in the second sector.
With 22 minutes remaining there's a bit of a lull before the qualifying sims get underway.
Perez heads out on softs, with Verstappen following the Mexican moment later.
The cameras cut to Christian Horner who is shaking Mohammed ben Sulayem's hand in the pitlane.
Quickest in the first two sectors, Perez crosses the line at 31.248, 0.334s up on Alonso as Albon improves to fifth with a 32.137.
"Manage your tyres, don't get into a race with Sargeant," Verstappen is told, as Zhou goes fifth.
Verstappen crosses the line at 31.062, 0.186s up on his Red Bull teammate.
Stroll goes third (31.396) with PBs in all three sectors, but is demoted when his teammate bangs in a 30.965 to go top by 0.097s.
A 31.118 sees Norris go third, with Piastri going fourth moments later.
PBs in all three sectors are only good enough for Hamilton (31.452) who goes 7th.
Russell improves to fourth with a 31.190.
"I am connected with the car, it is good," says Alonso.
Gasly, currently last, improves to 16th with a 32.382, despite running wide in Turn 4.
A 31.278 sees Hulkenberg go seventh as teammate Magnussen aborts his lap.
Ricciardo goes ninth and Tsunoda 11th.
Sainz goes quickest with a 30.824 having posted PBs in all three sectors.
Leclerc can only manage fourth (31.094), 0.270s down on his teammate, after running wide in Turn 4.
As the clock counts down all bar Hamilton are on track.
The session ends. Sainz is quickest, ahead of Alonso, Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris, Russell, Piastri, Perez, Hulkenberg and Stroll.
Ricciardo is eleventh, ahead of Hamilton, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Albon, Zhou, Bottas, Ocon, Sargeant and Gasly.
So, despite the different conditions, a picture is beginning to emerge, which, if nothing else, confirms that Red Bull remains the team to beat.
Check out our Friday gallery from Bahrain here.
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