LiveScore’s Jim Munro gets you up to speed with the latest news around the Formula 1 paddock. 

1. Can Valtteri Bottas recover from a rocky start?

As Valterri Bottas sat in the gravel at Imola after bouncing off two walls at high speed, it is unlikely he could have seen a positive side to being sideswiped off the circuit by George Russell's Williams. 

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was quick to blame Russell — a Mercedes junior driver — for the risky overtake and also confirmed that funds that had been set aside for car development during the season would need to be spent on a rebuild of Bottas’ vehicle. 

The cloud definitely has a silver lining for Bottas. 

It was clear from pre-season testing that the normally dominant Mercedes were struggling to adapt to this season’s regulation changes that have affected aerodynamics and downforce. 

But while there has already been a marked improvement in the Merc driven by team-mate Lewis Hamilton from the opening race, the chariot 31-year-old Bottas has been driving has remained sluggish by comparison.

Now that his car has been reduced to kit form by his Imola escapade, it has given the mechanics the opportunity to emulate changes to the set-up that have very obviously been made to the car of seven-time world champ Hamilton across the garage. 

And that can only bode well for the feisty Finn.

2. Is Sergio Perez feeling the pressure at Red Bull already?

Grinding to a halt on the formation lap is not the best way to mark your debut for a new team — but Sergio Perez was not to blame for the temporary shutdown that left him starting the Bahrain Grand Prix from the pit lane. 

And the fact he eventually finished fifth showed there is huge potential for the Perez/Red Bull combination. 

At Imola, though, there were signs that the experienced F1 pedaller was trying a little too hard. 

Perez, 31, was hit with a 10-second penalty for overtaking while behind the safety car. Then, having fought his way up to fourth, he spun into the gravel on lap 38, eventually limping home outside of the points in 11th. 

He did make a significant step in qualifying, claiming second spot on the grid ahead of Max Verstappen — the first time that the flying Dutchman had been beaten in qualifying by a team-mate in 19 races. 

Take that as a sign of some very good things to come. 

3. Who will lead the championship after Portugal?

I have been fortunate enough to visit Portimao a few times and I can tell you it is a HOT, unforgiving circuit where you feel the need to carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go. 

The clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has rapidly come to the boil, with one race win each and just one point — courtesy of a fastest lap at Imola — keeping the Brit at the top of the drivers’ championship. 

Although that lead could well change hands a few times during the course of the season, the form at last year’s debut race at Portimao suggests Mercedes may have the upper hand on the undulating, roller coaster racetrack. 

Not only did Hamilton secure a pole-to-flag victory in October, together with the fastest race lap, team-mate Bottas claimed second spot. 

The souped-up Red Bulls may be able to prevent a Mercedes one-two this time out but Hamilton remains the favourite in my eyes.     

4. Are there some Haas buyers lurking out there?

Let’s be brutally honest, Haas already look in deep trouble with rumours circulating that owner Gene Haas has had enough.

After the heady heights of fifth place in the 2018 constructors’ championship, only Williams have prevented them from hitting rock bottom since. 

The plan for 2021 was to go with two well-funded rookies, F2 champion Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, son of Russian billionaire Dmitry Mazepin, whose company Uralkali is the team’s title sponsor. 

At Imola, both cars were lapped twice by race Leader Max Verstappen and they were even classified behind Sebastian Vettel, who did not finish the race after he was retired due to an issue with his Aston Martin. 

While Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael, has at least managed to outqualify his team-mate in both races so far, the Russian has already gained the nickname Maze-spin. 

If Haas is really intent on selling up, there is talk of Mazepin’s father taking a controlling interest. 

A twist to that tale is it could be in partnership with drinks company Rich Energy, run by William Storey. The same William Storey who described the Haas car as a ‘milk float’ on Twitter when pulling his company’s support from the team halfway through the 2019 season. 

5. Is Lando Norris McLaren’s No1 driver?

Before the first lights out in Bahrain, McLaren’s Andreas Seidl said: "As long as I am team boss, there will be no defined No1."

That was aimed at people who assumed new recruit Daniel Ricciardo — about to start his eleventh season in F1 — would rule the roost over Lando Norris, 21, who had just 38 races under his belt.

Fast forward to Imola and Norris was on the team radio early in the race, asking if Ricciardo could let him pass as he felt he had more pace. Seidl was true to his word and the Aussie veteran was asked to move aside to let Norris through. 

The talented young Brit sailed off into the distance to cross the line in third, gaining McLaren’s first spot on the podium this season — a full 27.5 seconds ahead of his team-mate. Ricciardo, however, still managed a respectable sixth and that is a key fact to remember. 

The seven-time grand prix winner was only in his second race in a new car for a new team. He will learn and adapt quickly and if he is already putting in mid-point finishes, both he and Norris will be quite a formidable double act as the season progresses. 

6. Will Alpha Tauri fulfil their promise in Portimao?

We have seen the best and worst of rookie Yuki Tsunoda already. 

The F2 graduate raised a few eyebrows in Bahrain, finishing ninth on his debut in a race that included a slick overtake of two-time champion Fernando Alonso. 

At Imola, he crashed out of qualifying in the first session and spun again during the main event before finishing 12th. 

Speaking from Portugal, the 20-year-old has admitted he needs to take a more mature approach to this weekend’s race and not try to go hell-bent for leather on a circuit he has never tackled before.

Tsunoda said: "It’s going to be a difficult race week as compared to Imola and Bahrain, where I’ve already driven. I’ll just pick up the pace lap by lap and see what will happen."

Team-mate Pierre Gasly retired in Bahrain after coming off worst from a tangle with Ricciardo.

But he clinched an impressive fifth spot on the grid at Imola and overcame a bad call by the team — who started him on wet tyres — to take seventh at the chequered flag. 

Gasly finished fifth at Portimao in October and his growing confidence, coupled with a more considered approach from Tsunoda, could see the team complete a double-points finish for the first time since the Russian Grand Prix last September.   

Algarve International Circuit, Portimao

The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve opened in 2008 after being constructed in just seven months at a cost of €195million.

Last year's Portuguese Grand Prix in October was the first F1 race to be held at Portimao. 

One lap of the undulating circuit — quickly establishing the nickname, 'the roller coaster' — is 2.891 miles (4.653km) in length.

The 66-lap race will see the drivers who finish cover 190.652 miles (306.826km).

2020 winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes.

2020 lap record: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 1min 16:466sec. 

2020 race lap record: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:18:750.