Lewis Hamilton narrowly defeats Max Verstappen in thrilling season opener in Bahrain.
P1 – HAM
P2 – VER
P3 – BOT
Podium Finishers
If the Bahrain Grand Prix is any indication of what fans can expect from the 2021 season, we’re in for a wild ride!
Max Verstappen clinched the maiden pole of the season. Red Bull’s excitement was short-lived as the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton undercut him in the first round of pit stops.
In true bullish fashion, Verstappen fought back after digging into Hamilton’s lead. In going for a pass over Hamilton on Lap 53 (of 56), Verstappen ran wide and had to give the place back.
A mere 0.7 seconds held between the two under the checkered flag, with the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas clinching a distant third.
Best of the rest
Red Bull’s woes continued as Bottas’s late pit stop enabled him to take what will surely be a critical point for the fastest lap of the race. He was followed by the valiant papaya McLaren of Lando Norris in fourth.
Despite starting the race from the pit lane due to an unfortunate issue on formation lap, the Red Bull of Sergio Perez finished a redeeming fifth. While it certainly wasn’t the start Checo had hoped for, Checo is no stranger to scrutiny. All eyes remain on the Red Bull garage as the second seat is typically one perennially in danger.
A battle between Ferrari and McLaren for “best of the rest” seems inevitable this season. Charles Leclerc, Daniel Ricciardo, and Carlos Sainz finished in 6, 7, and 8, respectively.
Alpha Tauri rookie Yuki Tsunoda finished a commendable 9th in his first official Formula 1 race. The Aston Martin of Lance Stroll took the final point of the inaugural race of the season.
Vettel’s Penalties and Gasly’s Woes
Prior to the race start, Stroll’s teammate Sebastian Vettel received a five-place grid penalty (and three penalty points) for infringements during Saturday’s qualifying. Vettel’s woes continued after a tussle with Esteban Ocon. He was reprimanded with 10 second time penalty and 2 more penalty points. Oof!
Surely Bahrain wasn’t the race Pierre Gasly wanted. Lando Norris beat him at the start, while the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo clipped his front wing. Despite changing his front wing in the beginning, the frenchman retired with a few laps remaining.
The Alfa Romeo pair of Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi narrowly missed out on points, ending in 11 and 12.
Looking Ahead
It’ll be lights out in 2 weeks as the grid returns to Imola for the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. One thing is certain: while Mercedes prevailed today, they have a fierce competitor in the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who is clearly hungry for his first title.
