PRACTICE: Goethe leads MP Motorsport 1-2 in Sakhir

Oliver Goethe got the Sakhir race weekend off to a great start for MP Motorsport, leading teammate Richard Verschoor in Free Practice around the Bahrain International Circuit.

The Red Bull Junior Team driver saved his best effort for the final minutes, a 1:47.789 leaving him fastest going into Qualifying. Campos Racing’s Josep María Martí rounded out the top three.

Joshua Duerksen got the ball rolling in the session, recording a 1:48.954 as the early benchmark time for AIX Racing. DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford went second in the opening 10 minutes, just 0.022s down on the Paraguayan.

Martí moved to P1 as the clock ticked into the final 20 minutes. He set a 1:48.379 for Campos, 0.008s quicker than Victor Martins who moved up to P2 in his Williams Racing liveried-ART Grand Prix #14.

Alexander Dunne made it three drivers within a tenth at the top as he climbed up to third overall for Rodin Motorsport.

Sami Meguetounif followed in fourth position for TRIDENT, his time leaving him just outside a tenth away from the leader, while former F3 teammate Leonardo Fornaroli completed the top five for Invicta Racing, 0.166s down on Martí.

Much of the remaining laps were dedicated to race running, though Goethe surged to the top in the final two minutes with a 1:47.789 for MP.

Teammate Verschoor made it a 1-2 for the Dutch team, 0.2s down, but comfortably clear of the trailing pack.

Martí, Martins and Gabriele Minì completed the top five after the PREMA Racing driver moved up to fifth in the final moments.

Crawford, Dunne, Meguetounif, Fornaroli and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top 10 finishers in Practice.

Qualifying is set to get underway later on with the green light at 16:55 local time.