What was reigning world champion Max Verstappen’s nightmare start turned out to be Charles Leclerc, Ferrari and Mercedes’ celebration. The Bahrain Grand Prix saw Scuderia clinch a 1-2 finish with Leclerc winning the race, almost six seconds ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. Lewis Hamilton, who lost the title so painfully to Verstappen in 2021, enjoyed better luck this time with an unexpected third place.

Both the Red Bulls retired as Christian Horner and co leave Bahrain with no points in their kitty. 

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Lessons learnt at Bahrain GP:

Ferrari is finally back:

After having two disappointing seasons, Scuderia Ferrari, in the season opener, showed they are up to compete at the top in 2022. The Prancing Horse, with quick and well-balanced cars, are definitely title contenders. 

Also read: F1: Max Verstappen sure Mercedes will be competitive in 2022

In Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Ferrari also have an exciting driver duo that can challenge the likes of Hamilton and Verstappen. 

“Ferrari are properly back with a 1-2, where the team should be,” Sainz Jr. said. “The hard work is paying off and we are there.”

Mercedes scored a lucky win:

If it was not for Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez’s Red Bull’s retiring at the final stage of the race, Mercedes would have seen a mid finish at Bahrain. Their better driver on the day, Lewis Hamilton, was trailing both. 

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“We are grateful for these points,” Hamilton said. “It is not going to be a quick turnaround.”

The seven-time world champion’s partner George Russell finished fourth, more than 11 seconds behind Leclerc. 

Haas and Kevin Magnussen dare to dream:

Haas, a team that failed to score any points last season, saw Kevin Magnussen finish fifth and take 10 points. The Danish, in fact, took the team to Q3 for the first time since 2019. “You cannot write a story like this,” said the team principal, Guenther Steiner. 

The American F1 team did much better than any of the mid-zone players – McLaren, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo.