F1 Debrief: All you need to know after the Bahrain GP
Good morning. Welcome to our F1 Debrief after the Bahrain Grand Prix – your quick wrap-up of all the important stories that have taken place in the last 24 hours. Click on the links for each story...
A Mercedes 1-2, with Lewis Hamilton beating Valtteri Bottas, doesn’t sound like anything new, but Bahrain was all about Charles Leclerc.
He became Ferrari’s youngest-ever F1 pole winner on Saturday, and then looked set to win Sunday’s race – until his Ferrari’s engine lost a cylinder.
Despite the huge power loss, Leclerc clung on valiantly – giving up a 30s to Hamilton, and then Bottas passed him too. But he was saved by Renault’s double disaster with a couple of laps remaining, which meant the race ended under the safety car.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 3rd position, in Parc Ferme
Photo by: Andy Hone / LAT Images
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1, 1st position, talks with Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 3rd position, after the race
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF90, be Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF90
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Sutton Images
After the race, Leclerc took the punch on the chin, but admitted he might not have even finished the race without the safety car, as he was also struggling with his fuel level as the car was running so rich.
Hamilton admitted that Leclerc had the race won until he hit his trouble, that cost the Monegasque driver over 5s per lap, and said it “felt weird” when he breezed past him.
“I went past Charles on the back straight and I raised my hand to him because there was nothing I could do, I didn’t have any problems. But what can you do?”
Earlier in the race, Hamilton benefitted when Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel spun just after he passed him at Turn 4.
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF90, comes in for a pit stop to replace his front wing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images
The Ferrari pit crew change the nose on Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF90
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images
Vettel – who had led the race early on, but fell back from Leclerc and battled with Hamilton – was further delayed after the spin when his front wing flew off due to the vibrations from his flatspotted tyres. He also said that his car was “extremely difficult” to drive.
Renault also suffered a disastrous race, when both of its cars retired at the same corner within seconds of each other. Nico Hulkenberg described it as a “brutal moment” and team boss Cyril Abiteboul called on his squad to “react and shift our focus on reliability.”
After the race, Daniel Ricciardo was requested by stewards to explain why he didn’t replace the steering wheel after he exited his stranded Renault. His answer – to “avoid potential electrocution” – was accepted on safety grounds!
Hulkenberg’s exit opened the door to McLaren’s rookie Lando Norris to score his first-ever top-six finish in Formula 1, which brightened the team’s day following his teammate Carlos Sainz’s early clash with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, which broke the Spaniard’s front wing and effectively ended his challenge.
Sparks trail from the damaged car of Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren MCL34
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images
Previous article
Hulkenberg: Renault's Bahrain meltdown a "brutal moment"
Next article
Bahrain GP: Post-race press conference
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Bahrain GP |
| Drivers | Valtteri Bottas , Lewis Hamilton , Charles Leclerc , Sebastian Vettel |
| Teams | Ferrari , Mercedes , McLaren |
| Author | Charles Bradley |
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
#ThinkingForward with Juan Pablo Montoya
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his teammate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen's emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber teammate's own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here's how Nick Heidfeld's career was chilled by the Iceman.
