MOTORSPORT: Ferrari bolts out of the blocks in Bahrain

Ferrari went on a rampage at the start of a new era in Formula 1, finishing 1-2 in the Bahrain Grand Prix this morning and powering five of the top 10 finishers.

Charles Leclerc took pole position and converted for the win, ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton recovered from a lacklustre build-up in his Mercedes-AMG to claim the final podium place.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen was the only driver to take the fight to Ferrari, but he failed to finish as both Red Bull racers went out of the race with engine troubles that are likely down to a fuel system failure.

“To be back on top with a car that is capable of winning feels incredible,” said Leclerc.

“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,” said Sainz.

“It was a difficult race for us today, we've struggled throughout practice and this is really the best result we could have got,” said Hamilton.

Real racing returned to Formula 1 thanks to radical technical changes that have changed the look of the cars and how they generate their speed.

They are still petrol-electric hybrids, but have an all-new aerodynamic package that generates grip from beneath the bodywork to allow closer racing and more chances for overtaking.

The opening laps in Bahrain were close, hectic and entertaining and the race promises a genuine spectacle for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne in three weeks.

Changing the rules has also shuffled the pack, although it was the Ferrari-powered cars – even perennial tail-enders Haas and Alfa Romeo – who did the best in Bahrain.

McLaren had a miserable weekend with brake problems and Daniel Riccardo, who missed the final pre-season test with COVID, was dead last in the early laps of the race and only got a tiny consolation when he beat his team mate Lando Norris home – in 14th.

There were plenty of surprises in Bahrain, as Kevin Magnussen returned from retirement – as Haas sacked its Russian driver Nikita Mazepin – for fifth, former Mercedes man Valtteri Bottas managed sixth for Alfa Romeo, and the first Chinese driver in F1, Zhou Guanyu, scored a point with Alfa Romeo.

Away from F1, three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin finished second by just 0.0669 seconds in the IndyCar oval race at Texas Motor Speedway.

He led 186 of 248 laps but was overtaken by his teammate Josef Newgarden, who scored the 600th race win for Team Penske, although he still leads the championship standings after his first-up win in Florida.

The Formula 1 world championship continues with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on March 27.

Formula 1 pointscore:

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au