F1: Charles Leclerc wins Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton third, as China’s Zhou Guanyu finishes 10th on debut
- Ferrari claim 1-2 for first win since 2019, while disaster strikes Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
- Alfa Romeo pair Zhou and Valterri Bottas make solid start to season in Bahrain
Charles Leclerc embarked on Formula One’s new era in triumphant style, leading Carlos Sainz in a Ferrari one-two in Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Leclerc crossed the line 5.5 seconds ahead of his teammate, who moved up to second place after world champion Max Verstappen retired three laps from the end.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton snatched a shock third for struggling Mercedes ahead of new teammate George Russell on the final lap after Verstappen’s colleague Sergio Perez spun at the first corner, with neither Red Bull making the finish.
China’s Zhou Guanyu, in his debut race, finished tenth for Alfa Romeo, scoring a point in his first race. Teammate Valtteri Bottas was sixth.
Sunday’s win was the third of Leclerc’s career and Ferrari’s first since the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix. It was also the Italian team’s seventh at the Sakhir desert track.
There was also a remarkable outcome for the Haas team, which got no points last season, only to see Kevin Magnussen, who has replaced Russian driver Nikita Mazepin as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, finish fifth in his first race since 2020.
For Leclerc, who started the race on pole and faced a battle for the lead with Verstappen in the opening laps, it was pure delight.