Fernando Alonso makes bold decision to try and catch Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel

Alonso’s McLaren put in a strong performance in Australia last weekend on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

And the Spaniard is evidently confident he can match or even better the speed of his rivals in Bahrain next time out.

Alonso has opted for NINE sets of supersoft tyres, three sets of soft and just one medium set.

Drivers have access to all three tyre choices.

Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have both gone for seven supersoft, for four soft and two medium sets.

Red Bull's Formula One partnership Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, plus Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, have also gone with the same choice.

Valtteri Bottas Has ditched a medium set for a fifth soft set - but only Alonso and his McLaren team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne have gone for nine supersofts.

Having gone for more supersofts suggests McLaren are considering a different tactical approach to the Bahrain Grand Prix than their rivals.

Softer tyres are understood to work better on slower, twister tracks such as Monaco.

And Bahrain is known for its hairpins in the middle sector of the circuit.

McLaren endured a miserable season last year with their Handa engine but enjoyed a positive start to their Renault relationship last week.

Alonso said after the Australian Grand Prix: "Right now Red Bull are still clearly ahead of us and they are in that exclusive group with Mercedes and Ferrari.

"But McLaren are willing to enter that group - and in the next coming races hopefully we will forget the middle group and look forward to that privilege.

"There is potential in the car so I cannot see any reason why we should not be there in the next coming races."