BOITUMELO RANTAO  MERCEDES driver Valtteri Bottas soared to pole position in a time of 53.377s at the modified Bahrain circuit. It would be the first time a Grand Prix would be hosted at the same circuit on back-to-back weekends. Bottas’ single-lap time serves as the quickest lap in Formula One history. The Mercedes driver thanked teammates after he impressed under the Sakhir lights “Thank you everyone for your support, let’s do the job tomorrow!” Mercedes’ other driver, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, shocked his team and the F1 community with a positive COVID test, keeping him out of a whirlwind…