Leclerc wins Bahrain GP, ​​F1 season starts with Ferrari one-two

It was with great performance from Ferrari that the 2022 F1 season began. The Italian team achieved a one-two in the Bahrain GP, ​​on Sunday (20), with a victory for Monegasque Charles Leclerc, followed by Spaniard Carlos Sainz. The British Lewis Hamilton, of Mercedes, completed the podium.

Leclerc, who leads the championship for the first time, was in first position for most of the race. It was only after the first pit stop that he was threatened by Dutchman Max Verstappen of Red Bull. There was a sequence of overtaking until the Monegasque definitively established himself at the front.

The advantage grew and it was quite safe, but an accident by Frenchman Pierre Gasly, from AlphaTauri, made the “safety car” enter the track. Verstappen was then able to get closer and saw the tip within reach after the restart, with seven laps to go. Leclerc, however, didn’t give the competition a chance and calmly kept the lead.

“I made a very good restart, it gave me confidence to complete the race”, said the winner.

Sainz, who was third at the time, ended up overtaking Verstappen. And the current world champion, soon after, had battery problems and was forced to abandon the race. His Red Bull teammate, Mexican Sergio Pérez, spun. Hamilton, who couldn’t get a lot out of his car, inherited the third position.

The seven-time champion acknowledged that Mercedes did not start the year in the best way, but celebrated having taken the podium in the first race under the new F1 regulations, with significant changes to the cars, designed to accelerate the air that passes underneath. The result was several overtakes, illustrated by the good duel between Leclerc and Verstappen in the early part.

At the end of the dispute, however, the superiority of Ferrari was clear, which seeks to return to its glory days and had a great start to the year. “Ferrari is back”, cheered Sainz, who celebrated the one-two alongside Leclerc.