Max Verstappen Wins Season's First Race In Thrilling Bahrain GP

 

Max Verstappen won his first race of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, hosted in Malaysia, extending his F1 career wins to 72 and equalling the record set by Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. 

The race was chaotic and wet from the start, challenging teams' tyre choices. But Red Bull and Mercedes had an impressive grid start, with Kimi Antonelli and George leading in provisional pole and P2 before Verstappen reclaimed the pole. He won the race, setting the fastest time in 1:47:14.808. 

Antonelli dropped P2 after a virtual safety car was lifted on Lap 13. The Italian driver was in provisional pole, and Verstappen was between him and George Russell. While Antonelli defended the inside lane at the corner, Verstappen took the outside and gained traction to move up to P1, leading the two Mercedes cars after exiting the second corner. The four-time F1 champion led the remaining laps to the finish line. 

Red Bull was set for a double podium finish, but Isack Hadjar could not keep Lewis Hamilton at bay. The Ferrari gained an advantage on the inside lane down the straight on Lap 52 after a safety car was deployed, and moved up to P3. Hadjar dropped further behind as Charles Leclerc also overtook the Red Bull to trail his teammate, Hamilton. 

Ferrari's plan did not go down well as the adverse weather conditions did not suit the tyres deployed to start the race. Meanwhile, the surface conditions suited Red Bull's tyre choices, particularly for Verstappen, who started on pole and was positioned to contend for the race. 

Lando Norris lost the chance to compete favourably when he skidded over the curb and into the gravel after Valtteri Bottas DNF. Fernando Alonso delivered his best performance of the season, finishing eighth. His best until now in the top 10 was ninth at the Dutch Grand Prix

Antonelli maintains his F1 championship title race dominance with 320 points. He is now 84 points ahead of the nearest rival, Russell. Verstappen scored 25 points in the Bahrain Grand Prix and improved to 188 points. 

Track and Tyres 

Ferrari's game plan to start on soft tyres did not pay off, costing both Hamilton and Leclerc track positions in the first few laps. Leclerc pitted early on the fourth lap as he struggled with the surface, while Hamilton held on for a couple of laps more. 

Mercedes and Red Bull started on intermediate tyres. Williams, Racing Bull, and McLaren also started on intermediate and medium tyres, giving them an impressive first ten laps on a wet surface. The track's low humidity limited visibility as cars left a trail of moisture in their wake. Tyre deployment worked best for Red Bull, and Verstappen's experience stood out.

Pitting and Safety Car

Valtteri Bottas ran into the gravel, deploying a virtual safety car on Lap 9. The Finn's Cadillac skidded over the curb and swerved into the gravel. Mercedes quickly pitted with Russell leading the stack into the pit lane. 

Soon after the virtual safety car, Gabriel Bortoleto got a ten-second penalty for colliding with Carlos Sainz. The second virtual safety car was deployed when Alex Albon retired due to gear failure. Just after the flag was lifted, Russell was retired while coming out of the pit over engine failure.

Bahrain Grand Prix Top 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)....1:47:14.808

2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bull)

8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

9. Lando Norris (McLaren)

10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bull)