Lewis Hamilton hails F1's 'best fans' as he arrives for Bahrain GP with likes of Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel
- Lewis Hamilton has arrived in Bahrain after victory at the Chinese Grand Prix
- The British driver leads the drivers' standings alongside Sebastian Vettel
- Hamilton posed for photos with young fans ahead of practice on Friday
- The Bahrain Grand Prix will get underway this Sunday, April 16 at 4pm BST
- Formula One news: How do pit-stops work? Everything you need to know
Lewis Hamilton paid tribute to the 'best fans' in Formula One as he joined the likes of Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain ahead of the third grand prix of the season.
The three-time world champion moved level with Ferrari's Vettel with victory in the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend.
The pair now sit 18 points ahead of their nearest rival, Verstappen, ahead of the race at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton arrives in Bahrain on the back of his first victory of the season in China
The three-time world champion was busy on his phone after arriving in Bahrain for the race
The Briton, who secured a victory in China last weekend, poses for a selfie with a young fan
Hamilton poses with the 'BestFans' after arriving in the Middle East for the year's third race
Before taking to the track for their first practice session on Friday, Hamilton arrived in the Middle East and he was met by some of his vast fan base.
Alongside a photo of him posing with some young supporters, the 32-year-old wrote on Instagram: 'Some of my favourite #TeamLH members found me in Bahrain :) #BahrainGP #BestFans'.
The Briton came third at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, with Hamilton finishing 30 seconds behind his former team-mate Nico Rosberg.
The 32-year-old has enjoyed success in the Middle East, however. He picked up a second-straight win in Bahrain with victory at the 2015 Grand Prix.
The Englishman is tied at the top of the drivers' standings with Ferrari driver, Sebastian Vettel
Dutch driver Max Verstappen arrives in the paddock ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix
Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen will be looking to continue his team's good start to the year
McLaren driver Fernando Alonso walks in the paddock with his girlfriend Linda Morselli
But while the expected challenge from Ferrari never came in the last two years, Vettel has led the charge for the Italian team this season.
The German driver picked up the win in the first race of the season in Australia, before finishing second to Hamilton in China.
The Briton's former team-mate, Fernando Alonso, has enjoyed no such success this season. The McLaren driver arrived in Bahrain having not finished either of the two races so far this season. And he is to miss the Monaco GP next month to take part in the Indianapolis 500.
Force India's Esteban Ocon finished 10th in China to pick up his second point of the season
Marcus Ericsson of Sweden and Sauber finished 15th in the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend
Sergio Perez, meanwhile, picked up another two points with a ninth-placed finish in Shanghai
McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne is one of the drivers without a point in the championship this year
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