Bahrain Grand Prix : Ferrari's Leclerc wins, Hamilton gets third and Red Bull suffer miserable start
Charles Leclerc claimed Formula One’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after world champion Max Verstappen retired with just three laps remaining while Lewis Hamilton landed a surprise podium.
Verstappen - the reigning world champion - hit technical trouble in the closing moments to promote Carlos Sainz to second as Ferrari completed a famous one-two finish.
Hamilton was elevated to third after Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez spun out with an engine failure on the penultimate lap to complete a dramatic and miserable evening for Red Bull. George Russell finished fourth.
CHARLES LECLERC WINSSSSSSS! 🏁
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 20, 2022
It's his and Ferrari's first victory since 2019, and Carlos Sainz makes it a brilliant 1-2!#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/5bHPpxaJwm
Leclerc blasted away from his marks to keep Verstappen at bay into the opening corner, with Hamilton moving up one spot from fifth as he passed Perez through the second corner. Hamilton was then on to the back of Sainz's Ferrari before the true pace of his Mercedes machine was exposed.
🏁 END OF RACE 🏁
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 20, 2022
TOP 10
Leclerc
Sainz
Hamilton
Russell
Magnussen
Bottas
Ocon
Tsunoda
Alonso
Zhou#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/119F7HBSbQ