Source -
Tyres NorthamptonCharles Leclerc converted his pre-season promise into a season-opening victory for Ferrari in a commanding 1-2 finish for the Italian constructor. 2022 could not have started any better for the Monegasque driver who stormed to pole position on Saturday and looked in control for the duration of the Bahrain Grand Prix, despite early pressure from Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
While it was all smiles for the men from Maranello after two tough years in the sport, late-race drama saw scenes of dismay at Red Bull Racing. Power unit failures for the team in their first foray into in-house engine development hit Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez knocking both from podium contention and into retirement.
As qualifying suggested, Verstappen and the two Ferraris were the cars to beat at the Sakhir Circuit, with all three occupying the top positions and unchallenged throughout the race. However, Leclerc had to fight to keep his lead. During the first round of pit stops, Verstappen switched from his scrubbed Pirelli soft compound tyres one lap earlier than his Prancing Horse rival to benefit from a powerful 3-second undercut.
The ensuing scrap between the two 24-year-olds will leave F1 fans encouraged at the possibility of closer racing in 2022. The world champion's proximity on new red-walled Pirelli rubber left Leclerc vulnerable to DRS down the main straight, and Verstappen was able to slip by – but not for long.
Intelligent driving from Leclerc saw him position his car perfectly for a fightback into Turn 4 after the short straight to reclaim P1 down the inside line. The pair repeated their Sector 1 duelling over the following two laps, and only a front-right lock up from Verstappen would put an end to the scrap.
Even with Pirelli bringing the three hardest tyre compounds – the C1, C2, and C3 options – to Bahrain, some uncertainty that this would be a two-stop race as expected spread over the airwaves early on. Carlos Sainz asked his engineers to think about a three-stopper as soon as Lap 24, mere minutes after taking on his second set of softs of the evening.
Mercedes exemplified this thought by putting their duo on the white-walled hard Pirellis during the pit stops, seemingly aiming for a one-stop race, before switching Lewis Hamilton to mediums well before half distance. Even the most successful driver in the sport had to re-learn the new 18-inch rubber and rules governing cooler tyre blanket temperatures as he barely held on to his silver W13's rear-end when exiting the pits on Lap 12.
The middle portion of the Bahrain Grand Prix left many teams scratching their heads at how best to handle the new dynamic and possible alternate strategies that Pirelli's latest creations have brought to Formula One. Red Bull's requests for Verstappen to take his out laps cautiously were met with frustration from their Dutch driver, who thought he could've passed Leclerc in the lead had he been let loose straight away.
With few other options remaining if his team wanted the winner's trophy, Red Bull chose to roll the dice on the three-stop strategy with a double-stacking pit stop on Lap 44, hoping to close the gap to Leclerc in first. Their plans may have succeeded, yet their ex-driver Pierre Gasly suffered an engine failure at the worst possible moment to bring out the first safety car of the year, allowing Ferrari a cheap pit stop to retain the lead.
With all frontrunners now sporting Pirelli's soft compound tyre again, the stage was set for a grandstand finish. Sainz began that process by overtaking Verststappen into T11 just as the Red Bull driver radioed in complaining of a loss of power to add to a pre-existing power-steering problem. The issue would prove terminal, and within two laps, he and teammate Perez were out of the race thanks to engine woes.
Their retirements allowed Lewis Hamilton to make an unlikely podium appearance alongside the two scarlet-clad Scuderia drivers. More silverware for the Brit, but with the six lowest cars to see the chequered flag all running Mercedes power, it seems the German manufacturer's time as the best engine supplier is over.
The new era of F1 didn't electrify immediately in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it showed a lot of potential for the season ahead. Perhaps most encouragingly, the vast amount of strategic options available to the teams thanks to the new rubber that Pirelli is providing for this season. We're going to see as much action in from the great minds in the pit lane as we will out on track to add another dimension to F1 in 2022.
To find out more about our comprehensive range of services, or to book your vehicle in, contact our friendly team of experts today.