Verstappen Wins Bahrain Grand Prix
Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the season by winning the Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia, which only got underway on its second attempt after a 1-hour and 40-minute delay due to rain.
Verstappen, a four-time world champion who started from pole position, regained the lead early in the race when the safety car was deployed, then crossed the finish line ahead of Mercedes driver and championship leader Italian Kimi Antonelli. British seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished third at the Sepang International Circuit.
However, the race ended in disappointment for Mercedes’ second British driver, George Russell, who was forced to retire from third place with five laps remaining after it appeared his car’s power unit suffered a failure during the late safety car period.
Verstappen started from pole position for the first time this season, having dominated the free practice sessions and qualifying. However, his start was slow on the medium tires intended for wet conditions, allowing the Mercedes duo of Antonelli and Russell to easily pass him in the damp conditions at the beginning of the race.
The safety car entered the track on lap nine after Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) spun into the gravel area. Most drivers took advantage of the opportunity to pit and switch to slick tires as the track dried quickly.
Verstappen regained the lead after the safety car period and did not relinquish it until the end, quickly overtaking Antonelli and Russell and pulling away with a comfortable margin.
Hamilton started from second place on dry tires but quickly dropped back in the standings due to the wet conditions. Nevertheless, the seven-time world champion leveraged his vast experience to gradually climb back up as the track dried, finishing the race in a strong and impressive position.
His Ferrari teammate, Monaco’s Charles Leclerc, finished fourth, while Red Bull’s second French driver, Isaac Haggar, came fifth.
