Max Verstappen wins first Bahrain Grand Prix of the season

Max Verstappen has opened his account for the season with victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, strengthening Red Bull’s position while narrowing the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The race was held at Sepang in Malaysia, after heavy monsoon rain forced a delay of around 90 minutes.

Verstappen started from pole but was passed by both Mercedes cars at the beginning. He recovered the lead during the race and stayed ahead to the finish. Antonelli, the young Mercedes driver, took second and remains comfortably first in the drivers’ standings. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium for Ferrari, giving the seven-time world champion his first top-three finish of the event.

Charles Leclerc finished fourth in the other Ferrari, ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar. Hadjar had run inside the leading group for much of the race but was passed by both Ferraris in the closing laps. George Russell’s retirement five laps before the end cost Mercedes another strong result and further damaged his title challenge, as he had been running third.

Esteban Ocon ended 15th for Haas, one place ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. Several cars experienced an unidentified problem during the formation lap, but the field eventually completed the race after the weather-related interruption.