by M.C. – photo: f1.com | Motorsport lovers have some particularly intense days ahead of them. Over the coming weekend all top three motorsport competitions; rally (WRC), motorcycling (MotoGP) and car racing (Formula 1), are due to coincide. This happy coincidence only takes place three weekends a year with the other two occasions not due until October.

Formula 1 | Bahrein GP

The F1 single seaters are on the road again this Friday during the free training sessions leading to the Bahrein Grand Prix of this coming Sunday at the Sakhir circuit. This weekend is due to confirm or otherwise the sensations emanating from the first race of two weeks ago in Australia.

Hopefully some answers will emerge from this encounter on Persian Gulf land:

• Will McLaren keep on showing the signs of competitive improvement already demonstrated at the Australian race? Will Alonso be back fighting for the top positions?
• Could the 2017 podium repeat itself with Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) at the top, followed by both the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas?
• Will this be the beginning of the reign of Mercedes and its silver bullets as expected from the pre-season?
• Will the Renaults with Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg at the wheels, meet expectations and come closer to Red Bull’s, Ferrari’s and Mercedes’ times?
  

MotoGP | Argentinian GP 

The second date of the Moto GP world championship will take place this weekend at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. The Argentinian Grand Prix is well known for its intensity. Last year only, several drivers including Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, didn’t make it to the finish line due to falls. 

These are the key questions of this second race:

• Will it be payback time for Marquez after losing his duel with Dovizioso in Qatar?
• Will Lorenzo finally rid himself of all technical problems and be able to compete comfortably?
• Last year podium saw Yamaha and Maverick Viñales at the top, Valentino Rossi in second position and Honda’s Cal Crutchlow in third. Will the ‘blue boys’ come on top again this year?

WRC | Rally Corsica 

As tends to be the case, the rally will open the racing weekend: this very Thursday is the first day of the Rally Corsica (Tour de Corse). By the end, on Sunday the 8th, drivers will have completed a total of 12 stages and 333.48 kilometres on tarmac, across a zigzagging jumble of mountain roads; one of this rally’s trademarks. Also, and to make things a touch more exciting, two thirds of this year’s circuit are new.

What to keep an eye on during this edition:

• Sebastien Loeb’s comeback with Citroën, making it his second rally of the season out of the three he is expected to complete. Will he reach the podium after coming so near in Rally Mexico?
• Will Ott Tanak and his Toyota finally gain some success? The Estonian driver desperately needs to score some points after the disappointing results of the last three rallies if he wants to keep his title options open.
• Could we have a repetition of last year’s podium? In 2017 Thierry Neuville (Hyundai Motorsport) came first, Sebastien Ogier (M-Sport World Rally Team) second and Dani Sordo (Hyundai Motorsport) took third place.