Charles LeClerc wins Bahrain Grand Prix – Puts F1 on Notice

The Formula One season got off to a blistering start after Ferrari outpaced Mercedes during pre-season practise sessions. With Mercedes and Red Bull struggling, the dominant speed of the Ferrari’s gave them the advantage they needed.

With the season off to a flying start for Ferrari, the same can’t be said for Max Verstappen as his race day ended when he had to retire in the final laps due to a battery problem. The retirement allowed Charles Leclerc to cross the line in first and his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr finished in second for a 1-2 Ferrari finish.

The win for Ferrari brought an end to a forty-five race winless streak and what many are saying is a new era in Formula One. It also retuned the most famous of the F1 teams to the limelight after the struggle to compete against the dominance held by Mercedes over the last seven seasons.

It was also the first time that Ferrari recorded a pole to flag victory since 2019 when LeClerc joined four time world champion Sebastian Vettel for a 1-2 finish at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2019. As he crossed the line, the jubilation started with LeClerc exclaiming “Mamma Mia!” over the team radio.

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Shortly after, the celebrations got underway with the playing of the Italian anthem. While Charles Leclerc being the first Moroccan driver to lead the Formula One champion, his teammate ensured they secured the maximum points for the team as he passed the stricken Red Bull of Max Verstappen before it retired.

“Ferrari is back and it’s properly back, said Sainz Jr, with a one-two and where the team should have been the last two years. The hard work is paying off and we are there”.

The Bahrain Grand Prix win is welcome news for Ferrari fans, who have not seen their beloved team win an F1 championship title since 2008. They also watched the team drop to a low of sixth overall in 2020, something Ferrari had not seen in 40 years.

Seven time champion, Lewis Hamilton acknowledged Ferrari’s achievement and return to glory as he joined them in on the podium after finishing third.

“A big, big congratulation to Ferrari, so happy to see them doing well again. They are such an historic, epic team. It’s great to see Carlos and Charles up there as well.”

Likewise, an overjoyed Leclerc, who fans voted as the ‘Driver of the Day’ said he and the team could not have dreamt of a better day.

“The last two years have been incredibly difficult for the team and we know this was going to be a big opportunity. Now it’s starting in the best way possible… we couldn’t hope for better. It’s incredible to be back at the top.”

Team boss for Ferrari, Mattia Binotto added the 1-2 finish was a big boost and relief but was unexpected after a day that saw both Red Bull’s failing to finish the race after having to retire due to mechanical problems.

If not for those problems, the outcome likely would have been different as Verstappen was challenging LeClerc for the lead and his teammate Sergio Perez was looking like he would secure a third place finish.

However, in the closing laps of the race, the mechanical failures saw Verstappen passed by his teammate Perez, and shortly after, both Hamilton and George Russel passed the embattled Red Bull. To make matters worse for Red Bull, Perez spun coming out of a corner allowing both Hamilton and Russel to jump into third and fourth.

The Formula 1 season will now head to Saudi Arabia, a track notorious for its challenges for its scorching heat conditions. For bettors, this season will deliver a lot of ups and downs, but will the right outlook, punters can urn the odds in their favour while Mercedes and Red Bull battle from behind.