Strong showing from Carlos. When the Safety Car came out on lap 45 after Pierre Gasly stopped on track,
the team decided to change Charles’ tyres so that he could fend off any potential attack from Verstappen. At
the restart, Carlos, who had not felt completely comfortable in the car all weekend, still managed to pass the
Dutchman on track before his retirement, thus rounding off an unforgettable weekend for the Scuderia in
Bahrain. Charles heads the Drivers’ classification for the first time in his career.
Back on track soon. This evening, the team is celebrating in Bahrain and then tomorrow, it’s back to the
hard work because this coming Friday the action resumes with the second round of the season, the Saudi
Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche circuit.
Start. Positions unchanged on the opening lap, with Leclerc leading Verstappen and Sainz.
Lap 14. Verstappen and Sainz pit for Soft tyres.
Lap 15. It’s Charles’ turn: the crew change the wheels in 3.1 seconds and he comes out still ahead of
Verstappen, who benefits from his tyres being up to temperature and passes Leclerc down the main straight.
Leclerc immediately retakes the lead, but the Dutchman gets the place back again after crossing the finish
line. The same thing happens on lap 19. Charles is back in the lead, but Verstappen brakes late into turn 1
and gets ahead again. But he has locked his wheels and Charles is back in front and pulls away.
Lap 30. Verstappen pits for Mediums. Next time round Charles stops and comes out in front. This time the
Dutchman is not close enough to mount an attack. The gap between them is 2 seconds.
Lap 45. Pierre Gasly stops on track with his car on fire. Safety Car. Verstappen has pitted to change tyres
and Charles does the same while the race is neutralised.
Lap 51. At the restart Leclerc does a perfect job to keep the lead with 3 laps to go Charles is first past the
chequered flag and the win is in the bag! Carlos gets past Verstappen who pits and retires. It’s the Scuderia’s
first win since Singapore 2019, which was also a one-two. Leclerc and Ferrari lead the Drivers’ and
Constructors’ championships.
Charles Leclerc #16
“Coming into this season, we knew we would be in a better position than we have been for the past two years,
but we didn’t know exactly where we would stand. To be back on top with a car that is capable of winning
feels incredible. A huge thank you to our whole team, you’ve done an amazing job and this victory is for all of
you.
The race was tough and I gave it my all. Whenever I had a bit of margin behind me, I felt in control of the
race and was managing the gap well. But after the first stop, things became more tricky. Max challenged me
three times and I had to position myself in the right way to reclaim my position each time he passed me.
Once the Safety Car came out, we lost the gap we had created and had to start again from zero. I knew I had
to do the best restart possible and I am glad I got the job done well.
Car development will be more significant than in previous years and we have to stay on top of our game. As
for this weekend – we did everything right. Pole, fastest lap, the victory and second place for our team. Forza
Ferrari!”
Carlos Sainz #55
“This is definitely a day to celebrate for the entire team. Starting the season with a 1-2 is the perfect reward
for the tireless work they have done over the last two years and congrats to Charles on a solid win.
We also want to share our joy with all our tifosi around the world because we always felt their support even
when we were not fighting at the top.
For me, I’m very happy with the result but I’m not particularly happy with my race. It was probably one of the
hardest ones since I joined Ferrari. I wasn’t feeling at home with the car and we need to understand why. But
today it’s time to celebrate this amazing result all together. The great effort to bring Ferrari back to the top,
where it belongs, has paid off today and everyone deserves to enjoy it. We’ll keep pushing next week in
Saudi. Forza Ferrari!”
Mattia Binotto, Team Principal & Managing Director
“I am very happy with this result, as our race today shows how well this team has worked over the past two
years in Maranello. Personally, I have always had faith in them. They have worked as a united group and
reacted to the difficulties we encountered. It’s nice to see we are once again battling for first place, which is
our goal for this season.
To win in Formula 1, you have to do everything perfectly and today we did just that and that goes for everyone,
the drivers, the F1-75, the engineers with the strategy and the mechanics,who were impeccable at the pit
stops. Seeing the way the team was able to make the most of every opportunity fills me with pride.
Tonight, I wanted to go up on the podium to collect the Constructors’ trophy because I felt it was the best way
to represent the whole team, back home and here in Bahrain. I have to admit it was an emotional moment. I
am also thinking of the fans who have always supported us, even when things were a bit tricky and I admit I
can’t wait to get to Imola to race in front of them.”
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) / 1:37:33 / 26 Points
2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) / +5,598 / 18
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) / +9,675 / 15
4. George Russell (Mercedes) / +11,211 / 12
5. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) / +14,754 / 10
6. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) / +16,119 / 8
7. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) / +19,423 / 6
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) / +20,386 / 4
9. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) / +22,390 / 2
10. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) / +23,064 / 1
---------------------------------------------------
11. Mick Schumacher (Haas) / +32,574
12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) / + 45,873
13. Alex Albon (Williams) / +53,932
14. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) / +54,975
15. Lando Norris (McLaren) / +56,335
16. Nicholas Latifi (Williams) / +61,795
17. Nico Hülkenberg (Aston Martin) / +63,829
---------------- dnf ------------------------------
Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri)
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