A much-awaited Ferrari 1-2, a serendipitous 5th place return for K-Mag and a surprising 0-points finish for Red Bull… the 2022 season opener had a lot in store for us at Bahrain and it was only round 1 of 23!
As the Saturday’s sun set on the Bahrain International Circuit, the first Qualifying of the season saw a massive reshuffle of the pecking order. The reigning world champion – Max Verstappen – found himself in a Ferrari sandwich, with Charles Leclerc taking a stunning pole. The top 10 were rounded off by Sir Lewis Hamilton locking out the third row alongside his ex-teammate Valterri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo, Kevin Magnussen’s Haas in 7th, followed by Fernando Alonso, George Russell and Pierre Gasly. The McLarens qualified 13th and 18th respectively due to lack of race pace caused by braking issues.
A solid start by Leclerc ensured he retained his position as the race leader, ending the race in an amazing drive to cement his first win since Monza 2019. Sainz retained P3, Hamilton moved up into fourth and Bottas, who started sixth, slid into 14th Place. Past the midfield, a tip by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon sent Mick Schumacher spinning, earning the Frenchman a five-second penalty for the infringement.
One of the new regulations in 2022 saw the requirement for the top 10 having to start the race on their Q2 tyres being scrapped which brought a new interesting element into the mix. Since the field had a free choice for tyre compounds, and Bahrain historically being a two-stopper, the preferred tyre strategy for most teams (barring McLaren) seemed to be Softs – Mediums – Softs.
As Perez snatched P4 from Hamilton on lap 9, the Mercedes driver opened the pit window, changing from Softs to Hards, in an (unsuccessful) bid to undercut the rival Red Bull. Alongside, Red Bull almost made the undercut work for Max against Leclerc’s Ferrari, giving us a spicy box-office battle in laps 17, 18 and 19. However, an unfortunate lock-up on the inside of Turn 1 allowed Leclerc to sweep past the champion with ease and extend his lead. Ferrari’s perfectly executed race strategy allowed Sainz to keep Perez, the fastest driver on track by lap 34, at bay.
In an all or nothing move, Red Bull brought in the Dutchman for a third pit-stop on lap 44, forcing Sainz and Hamilton to react and box. In a stroke of pure luck, the Monegasque driver scored a cheap pit stop and retained track position as the Safety Car was employed after Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri came to a halt in flames.
In the 7-lap climactic end to the season opener, Leclerc nailed the restart and held on to P1 as Sainz tried to pry Verstappen off his P2. In a shock double-DNF, Red Bull saw their ailing champion, followed shortly by his teammate, retire due to steering and power unit issues, guaranteeing a Ferrari 1-2 and handing Hamilton a surprise podium finish. George Russell ultimately salvaged a P4 in his new W13, followed by an elated Magnussen in 5th, a double points finish for both Alpines and Alfas as well as a graceful 8th for AlphaTauris’ Yuki Tsunoda. On his first ever F1 race, it should be noted that as a rookie, Zhou drove a fantastic race placing his Alfa in 10th. Elsewhere, the Mercedes-powered teams – Aston Martin, McLaren and Williams were seen struggling for race pace throughout and finished Sunday without any points.
The new era of Formula 1 has arrived, and it is marked with the mighty resurgence of Ferrari. While Red Bull impressed in pre-season testing, the technical failures at Bahrain highlight a reliability issue with the Honda ICE that needs to be addressed. On the other hand, the eight-time constructors’ race pace might be a genuine cause for concern as highlighted by their performance over the weekend. Has the FIA been successful in levelling the playing field? Can we expect to see a more dynamic reshuffling of the grid in Saudi Arabia? The 2022 race season is in full swing and we’re absolutely here for it. See you in a week’s time!
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