Leclerc wins F1 2022 Bahrain opener as Red Bull implodes

Charles Leclerc claimed Ferrari’s first Formula 1 victory for two and a half years in a 1-2 with Carlos Sainz, while champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull dramatically dropped out with three laps to go after fighting Leclerc for victory all race.

Leclerc and Verstappen had followed up their close qualifying battle with a race in which they were a class apart and produced some superb wheel to wheel dicing that looks like a precursor to a season-long title fight.

But Leclerc instantly gets a massive advantage in that fight thanks to the problem that took Verstappen out of second place in the closing moments.

Leclerc managed to inch out a 4s lead over Verstappen in the first stint, but that was reduced to zero by Red Bull grabbing a one-lap undercut at the first pitstops.

They then swapped places three times on consecutive laps in a brilliant advertisement for the 2022 F1 rules – albeit with DRS still a heavy presence in the passes.

Each time Verstappen managed to surge ahead into Turn 1 from a long way back, but each time Leclerc was able to respond. First time he did so down the outside into Turn 4, next time on the inside at the same spot. Then Verstappen made it easy for Leclerc with his final attempt by locking up and running wide.

Verstappen again had a one-lap undercut at the second stops, but this time didn’t get close enough and expressed annoyance over team radio at being told to take it easy on his out-lap.

Then with 13 laps to go and at a 4s deficit to Leclerc again, Verstappen pitted for a third time and another set of softs.

That triggered a series of response stops from other frontrunners but initially not Leclerc.

Though the Ferrari had a 27s cushion over Verstappen after the Red Bull’s stop, the champion took 1.7s out of Leclerc on his first flying lap.

How this would’ve played out – and whether Leclerc would’ve pitted too – became a moot point when Pierre Gasly pulled off on the exit of the first complex with his AlphaTauri on fire, prompting a safety car under which Leclerc could pit without losing his lead.

Leclerc had no trouble holding onto first place at the restart, and Verstappen – who had begun reporting steering problems after his final pitstops – then started complaining of battery issues too.

Though reassured by his engineer, Verstappen was quickly overtaken for second by Sainz and then dramatically lost speed, leaving him trundling back to the pits to retire.

Sainz was unable to match Leclerc’s race pace, spending most of the evening keeping out of Sergio Perez’s reach for what looked like it would be the final podium spot, and then completing Ferrari’s incredible 1-2.

Perez was busier fending off Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes for third after the restart and then also began reporting a loss of power, before spinning at the first corner at the start of the final lap as his engine appeared to die completely.

That allowed Mercedes to salvage a 3-4 finish from a race where it had been adrift of Ferrari and Red Bull throughout, with Hamilton leading home new team-mate George Russell.

The late Red Bull drama allowed Kevin Magnussen to take an incredible fifth on his F1 return with Haas, having been best of the rest behind the top three teams all evening.

Valtteri Bottas had tumbled down to the midfield with a terrible start, then fought back to begin life at Alfa Romeo with sixth place. His team-mate Zhou Guanyu earned a point on his F1 debut in 10th.

Esteban Ocon recovered from a penalty for hitting Mick Schumacher to take seventh for Alpine, with his team-mate Fernando Alonso ninth behind Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri – charging up from 16th on the grid.

McLaren had an awful race, with Daniel Ricciardo spending much of it in last place before ending up 14th ahead of team-mate Lando Norris. Both appeared to be battling overheating problems throughout.

Aston Martin also continued to struggle – Lance Stroll 12th and Nico Hulkenberg the last finisher in 17th.

Race Results