Bahrain F1 Grand Prix 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More

Normal service was resumed last time out at the Chinese Grand Prix as Mercedes claimed a one-two finish following Sebastian Vettel's surprise win in Malaysia.

Bahrain plays host to the fourth race of the 2015 season on Sunday, and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will be looking to replicate his 2014 performance when he triumphed in the desert.

Hamilton's team-mate Nico Rosberg could do with pipping the Brit this weekend, as he is already 17 points back in a championship that could well be dominated, once again, by Mercedes.

Vettel is currently four points ahead of Rosberg, and has triumphed twice in Bahrain in the past, in 2012 and 2013. Read on for full viewing information and a preview ahead of Sunday's race.

Date: Sunday, April 19

Time: 4 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. ET, 6 p.m. local

TV Info: Live on Sky Sports F1 and BBC1 (UK), NBCSN (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go, BBC iPlayer, NBC Sports Live Extra

Team	Driver 1	Driver 2
Mercedes	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg
Red Bull	Daniel Ricciardo	Daniil Kvyat
Ferrari	Sebastian Vettel	Kimi Raikkonen
Lotus	Pastor Maldonado	Romain Grosjean
McLaren	Fernando Alonso	Jenson Button
Force India	Nico Hulkenberg	Sergio Perez
Sauber	Marcus Ericsson	Felipe Nasr
Toro Rosso	Max Verstappen	Carlos Sainz Jr
Williams	Valtteri Bottas	Felipe Massa
Marussia	Will Stevens	Roberto Merhi

Rosberg Needs to Respond 

Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

Rosberg has admitted that his outburst after last week's race in Shanghai, in which he accused Hamilton of compromising his race by deliberately backing him up into third-placed Vettel per BBC Sport, was a mistake.

While the 29-year-old still clearly has grievances about the tactics in Shanghai, which saw him finish second behind Hamilton, he admits he should not have publicly expressed his displeasure, per Giles Richards in The Guardian:

"I would do it again because I felt the need to discuss things after that race. I would not do anything different, apart from discussing it with you."

However, Rosberg needs to focus on the weekend's race, as another finish behind Hamilton, and he will be struggling in the championship.

Despite Vettel's terrific win in Malaysia, this season already looks to be a battle between the two Mercedes once again, their superior pace showing in China, per BBC Sport's Andrew Benson:

Hamilton, though, currently looks hugely superior to Rosberg, having won twice, come second to Vettel in Malaysia, and claimed pole in all three races so far.

Qualifying will be absolutely essential for Rosberg on Saturday, and if he can claim the front spot on the grid, a race win is a genuine possibility.

Qualify behind Hamilton again, and Rosberg could well lose further ground in the early stages of this year's championship.

Vettel has Form in Bahrain

Toru Takahashi/Associated Press

Vettel had a torrid season in 2014 as the four-time champion struggled in his Red Bull. However, the 2015 season is looking far better already for the new Ferrari driver, after two third-place finishes and his excellent victory in Malaysia.

This weekend at Bahrain, he returns to a track around which he has triumphed on two occasions, only Fernando Alonso has more race wins with three.

This should give the German supreme confidence ahead of Sunday's race, and Vettel's knowledge of the track could give him an edge as he pushes to disrupt the Mercedes dominance once more.

Ferrari needs to continue to improve if it is to genuinely push for the championship this year, and as Vettel notes, anything can happen as long as the team stays competitive, per Formula1.com:

"

We have made a great start to the year and the win in Malaysia was wonderful. We've taken a podium in each of the three races so far this year, so we are on the right track, and we just need to keep putting the pressure on Mercedes to see what happens next.

"

Vettel's return to competing for race wins is good for Formula 1, and he can hopefully trouble the Mercedes drivers once again in the desert.

Last year saw a sixth-place finish for the 27-year-old, but 2015 could see a return to winning ways in Bahrain for Vettel as he looks to close down the gap to Hamilton.