F1 – The biggest news before race weekend was that Liam Lawson had been replaced after just two races by Yuki Tsunoda, with Lawson taking a seat back at Racing Bulls. There was no doubt that Lawson had a difficult start to the season, but Red Bull felt that it could not afford to repeat the slow start they had last season, with the hope that Tsunoda could keep his car consistently in the points to fight for the Constructors’ Championship.
As qualifying got underway on Saturday, everything pointed towards a McLaren procession. On paper at least and based on the first two races of the year, the car was comfortably quicker compared to their nearest rivals. Max Verstappen, however, had other ideas and threw the form book out of the window to put together a stunning lap that left the paddock speechless. Even his team was surprised by the result, with some describing it as the best lap they had ever seen him produce.
Either way, it mixed the starting grid up, with Norris and Piastri just behind. Charles Leclerc outqualified his Ferrari teammate in fourth with Lewis Hamilton only managing eighth. The pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli started fifth and sixth, with Isack Hadjar seventh.
The race itself got off to a clean start, despite the fact that Verstappen’s and Norris’s cars were pointing towards each other on the grid. Verstappen led into turn 1, with the two McLarens in order behind him. There had been some early morning rain, so there were greasy areas off the racing line. It wasn’t enough for the use of wet tyres, but there was a threat of additional rain during the race to keep the teams’ strategists on their toes. The vast majority of drivers started on the medium tyre and were on a one-stop race, with a subsequent move to the hard compound. Hamilton, notably, was attempting the reverse plan to try and make up places, having started in seventh.
Piastri was the first of the front runners to come in on lap 21. The remainder of the top four all went in the following lap. Norris’s stop was faster than Verstappen’s, meaning they both emerged from the pit exit alongside each other. The McLaren ended up on the grass and had to slot in behind the Red Bull. The inevitable claims and counter-claims came out on the radio with regards to blame, but the Stewards saw no reason to investigate.
Hamilton and Antonelli were the last to stop on lap 32, leaving Verstappen, Norris and Piastri back in the top three, with Leclerc, Russell and Antonelli following, the same order as the starting grid. The top three pulled away from the field and by lap 50 had created a 10-second gap to Leclerc in fourth. Upfront, the gaps between the front three were in and out of the one second DRS zone, but getting close to the car in front was proving difficult.
The strength of Verstappen’s driving skill enabled him to hold on to the victory, with Norris then Piastri just a second behind. Leclerc ended fourth ahead of the two Mercedes of Russell and Antonelli. Hamilton could not improve on his seventh place, despite a different tyre strategy, with Hadjar, Albon and Bearman completing the top ten.
With the teams now packing up and heading here to Bahrain, it’s time to get set for a weekend of incredible racing and entertainment in Sakhir. On the track, the early races have given us high expectations for some hugely exciting racing. Off track, there is much to look forward to with three massive concerts, loads of family entertainment, circus performances, Kids Race Fest, a Bahraini Village, a Thursday pit-lane walk for three-day ticket holders and much more. Do check out bahraingp.com for all the timings.
Finally, as you prepare for your Bahrain race weekend, do also take notice of information relating to parking and traffic management and keep an eye on our social channels for the very latest information.
See you in a few days!
* Laurence Jones is senior manager, Marketing and Communications, Bahrain International Circuit
l.jones@bic.com.bh
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