(Time.news) – Formula 1 restarts as it ended: Lewis Hamilton is the fastest of all and starts the new edition of the world championship in the lead winning the first grand prix of the season in Bahrain. Less simple than in the past, however, for the seven-time world champion who had to fight to the last for keep behind a wild Max Verstappen, forced to return the first position from Hamilton who had passed two laps from the end because he had probably made an irregular overtaking.
Good start for the Ferraris who finished sixth with Charles Leclerc and eighth with Carlos Sainz. Redheads that need to grow but have both scored points is an encouraging start. In the standings in third place is Vallteri Bottas (penalized by an error by the mechanics in the pits) ahead of Norris and Perez. Ricciardo between the two Ferraris in seventh place.
The first grand prix of the season in Bahrain also featured the tires: the different strategies of the teams meant that Verstappen on Red Bull dominated the race and then surrender only to the immense Lewis Hamilton, able to capitalize on a Mercedes less competitive than expected. A mistake in the pits penalizes the other silver arrow (from last year, black) e Vallteri Bottas has to be satisfied with the lowest step of the podium. As for the ‘reds’, after an excellent start from Leclerc, who overtakes Bottas and goes close to Verstappen-Hamilton, the problems begin and the Monegasque has to settle for a sixth place.
The other Ferrari driver pays a little for the excitement of the debut, Carlos Sainz, who makes a decent race without big shots and finishes in eighth placed behind Ricciardo. Worth noting is the great performance of Sergio Perez who remained stationary on the track with his Red Bull at the end of the reconnaissance lap and forced to start from the pit lane and able to finish fifth. A note concerns the rookie with the most important name: only sixteenth and last at the finish Mick Schumacher with Haas.
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