F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Follow the race at Sepang with live timing

And as the drivers spray the rosewater, it's goodbye from us for now – we'll be back in a few days for more action, and probably another delve into what former Autosport editor Edd Straw refers to as "Codders' writers' strike material". What can he possibly mean?

Singapore up next!

Feels like a long time since the Dutch and Austrian national anthems have rung out on the podium, doesn't it?

And here's your report from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

FIVE QUICK TAKEAWAYS

There's a lot to unpack from that race. Our writers have slipped off the plastic sheets and set to with the Allen keys on five key themes.

Apart from falling back at the start, there was barely a moment when Max Verstappen wasn't in command of that race.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sona Maleterova / Getty Images

Leclerc completes Ferrari's recovery with P4. Hadjar clung on to P5 under pressure from Piastri on the final lap.

Lawson fell three seconds behind that battle on his way to P7, 0.6s ahead of Alonso, who held off Norris for P8 at the flag.

Lindblad completes the top 10, a decent result after starting from the tail of the field because of an engine penalty.

Antonelli crosses the line 2.3s down in second place. Third is Lewis Hamilton, a further 2.6s behind.

Three hours and 20 minutes after the originally scheduled race start...

Alonso was actually faster than Lawson around the penultimate lap.

Alonso managed to get to P8 in that restart but he now has Norris all over his rear wing.

As we enter the final lap, Antonelli is 1.4s down on Antonelli so his hopes of winngin are over.

Well it's curtains for George Russell's title chances but a very lucky race for Ferrari after misjudging the conditions early on.

Leclerc also bags Hadjar into Turn 1 at the beginning of lap 54.

Hadjar falling off the lead battle faster than Richard Chamberlain in The Towering Inferno. And he's right into the clutches of Lewis Hamilton!

The crowd roars with approval as Hamilton gets by on the inside into Turn 1 at the start of lap 53.

Safety car period will end as we close lap 51.

Looks like Russell's car slowing cause those behind him to check up and Norris locked up while trying to avoid hitting the back of his own team-mate.

RUSSELL OUT

Well the issue of what happens with Perez is now moot since George Russell as pulled off the track just at the pit exit. Power unit issue.

Lando Norris has speared off at Turn 1, too, losing four places.

Note to Michael Masi: this is how a race is supposed to restart after a safety car period.

What? Too soon?

Sainz and Bortoleto now joining the back of the pack as lap 49 comes to an end. Antonelli is reminded via the radio that he has two track-limits strikes.

As we start lap 49, we're still under safety car conditions while Perez makes his way back around the track to latch onto the rear of the pack. At this rate we won't go green until lap 51...

We're now into the pantomime of letting lapped cars unlap themselves. Perez still making his way through the queue.

So the top six all now running on scrubbed softs: Verstappen, Antonelli, Russell, Hadjar, Hamilton and Leclerc.

Piastri in P7 is on new hards if our data system is to be believed. Norris on scrubbed softs.

Behind them, Lawson and Alonso have new softs on!

Ditto Lindblad and Stroll in P12 and P13.

So this will make for a tasty restart, given the stakes at this point in the race.

Albon's car is reportedly stuck in gear, hence the marshals have been unable to move it, which is why the VSC was upgraded.

Hadjar emerges just ahead of Piastri and Hamilton.

Initially Verstappen fed out in second place ahead of Russell, with Sainz's Williams between them. But now he's P1 again.

Hadjar also pits.

Mercedes leaves its drivers out another lap before pitting.

And Verstappen pits under the VSC! Antonelli is your new race leader. Mercedes opt to cling on to track position.

Hamilton and Leclerc also take the opportunity to stop.

The Racing Bulls, which has the same engine, is usually a rocket too but Alonso has just nailed Lindblad into Turn 1 at the start of lap 41.

Lindblad tried to stick it out but Fernando pulled a switch on him and drove around the outside into Turn 3.

Corks will be popping at Honda's R&D facility.

Hamilton is within the overtake mode range of Hadjar but that Red Bull is a real rocketship down the straight.

Alonso now giving Lindblad a hard time for P10

Hulkenberg making progress on new softs he fitted five laps ago - he's just passed Stroll and then Ocon through sector two.

Perez's Cadillac must be dragging a boat anchor behind it because he's circulating at 6s per lap off the frontrunning pace.

Alonso bags Ocon for P11 at Turn 4! Capitalising on Ocon getting a slide through the preceding corner and scraping his skid block on the kerb.

So Antonelli now 10.1s behind Verstappen but he was five tenths faster around lap 35. Russell is 3.8s behind his team-mate.

Scrubbed softs for the world champion, though our data readout is rather glitchy at the moment - it claims Verstappen hasn't pitted yet.