F1

FORMULA ONE showed again it doesn’t need any help from Netflix when it comes to drama.After the explosive fall out at the Abu Dhabi GP in December, this new season – and indeed new era of F1 – kicked off in thrilling fashion.
Hamilton will be left wondering how on earth he managed to finish on the podiumCredit: Reuters
Leclerc won the F1 season opener for FerrariCredit: EPA
Hamilton (L) somehow took the chequered flag in thirdCredit: Getty
In Bahrain there was the lot; plenty of overtaking, a dubious safety car, furious outbursts, a victory for the sport’s most famous team, AND a thrilling twist at the end.
Plus, all this without the need of a bungling race director!
If this is what this new dawn of F1 is like, with these new cars, then sign me up for the record-breaking 23-race calendar, as there is no need to edit the footage like the TV series Drive to Survive.
Charles Leclerc’s victory for Ferrari was the team’s first since the 2019 Singapore GP, while teammate Carlos Sainz was second.
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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}BAHRAIN GP .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Leclerc WINS dramatic opener as Hamilton snatches podium and Verstappen RETIRES

It was the team’s 85th one-two in 75 years but the Italian team’s return to form after a promising winter test was only part of the story.
Lewis Hamilton completed an unlikely podium after he benefited from a double DNF for Red Bull as world champion Max Verstappen retired three laps from the end with a suspected fuel-pump problem.
And his teammate, Sergio Perez, spun on the final lap, promoting Hamilton to the podium places ahead of his teammate, George Russell.
And Haas’s Kevin Magnussen scored a fifth place finish on his return to F1 in place of axed Russian Nikita Mazepin.
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A tasty three-lap fight between Leclerc and Verstappen whetted the appetite as the two traded places in a thrilling duel that was kept clean.
This year’s new cars have been designed with overtaking in mind and it certainly looks like that’s been achieved.
But this race was turned on its head on lap 45 when Pierre Gasly conked out at the side of the track and his AlphaTauri burst into flames.
New FIA race director, Niels Wittich – who replaced the axed Michael Masi, who denied Hamilton a record-breaking eighth world title when he failed to follow safety car rules – didn’t make the same mistake as his predecessor.
He thumped the safety car button without hesitation as marshals recovered Gasly’s broken car with just seven laps remaining.
Just as in Abu Dhabi, there was a flurry of pitstops only this time it was Verstappen who would come out on the losing side.
Already upset by the handling of his Red Bull, he raged on the radio to his engineer, “I almost can’t steer….Just f***ing tell me what’s wrong and how to handle it.”
While the Dutchman was the benefactor in Abu Dhabi to pass Hamilton on the final lap to take the title, this time, with him complaining about battery issues with his car, he was passed by Sainz.
A faulty fuel pump then dumped him out of the race completely just three laps from the end, promoting Hamilton to fourth.
And then the final twist in the tale, as Perez cracked under pressure from Hamilton to earn the Brit the unlikeliest of podiums, behind the Ferrari duo.
Verstappen delivered a blunt assessment after the race and said: “There’s a lot of things to analyse.
“Problems can happen and you might retire but at this level it shouldn’t happen.
“We already lost a lot of points in one race weekend. With one retirement I know it is not over for the season, but I would prefer to have at least 18 points.
“It is disappointing. You always say to yourself, ‘we have to score points – it doesn’t matter if it’s first or second’.
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“So to lose so many points for the team in a championship… sometimes it could be tight to the end, sometimes these are important points.”
It was Leclerc’s third win of his career but confirms Ferrari’s return to competitiveness as they look for their first title since 2008.
He added: “The last two years have been incredibly difficult for the team and we knew this was going to be a big opportunity for the team.
“The guys have done such an incredible job getting us and building this amazing car, so for now it’s starting in the best way possible: pole position victory, fastest lap, one-two today with Carlos.
“We could not hope for better. It hasn’t been easy but it’s incredible to be back at the top.” More

FORMULA ONE world champion Max Verstappen took a cheeky dig at Lewis Hamilton after his Brit rival only qualified fifth for the Bahrain GP. Verstappen will start Sunday’s race on the front row after Ferrari man Charles Leclerc took pole for the first race of the season.
Verstappen aimed a veiled swipe at Hamilton with his comment after qualifyingCredit: Splash
Hamilton struggled in qualifying but still performed better than Mercedes team-mate RussellCredit: Getty
Hamilton was out-qualified by both Ferraris AND both Red Bulls, while team-mate George Russell was way down in ninth.
And after securing his position on the front row for the season opener, Verstappen was quizzed by reporters on whether he was disappointed to see Mercedes underperforming.
The Dutchman cheekily replied to the question “very, very [disappointed],” as per to Formula 1 News.
A poor qualifying for Mercedes came after Hamilton declared the team have “a lot of problems” going into the new season.
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F1.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-h98a3b{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(236,245,247,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-xpuujo{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-tqcu81{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-bq4915{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,97,108,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}BAHRAIN GP .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Lewis starts back in fifth as he renews rivalry with Verstappen in season opener
The 37-year-old even claimed that it would take as many as four races for Mercedes to challenge for top spot on the podium.
Qualifying for the Bahrain GP also incidentally took place on the same day that the FIA concluded Verstappen’s dramatic victory on the final day of the 2021 campaign was down to “human error”.
Fans didn’t hold back after the report was published, mercilessly trolling the Dutchman for the circumstances in which he won his maiden world title.
One sarcastically wrote: “Max Verstappen won a Championship due to ‘human error’. Congratulations.”
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Another added: “Congratulations to max verstappen for being the first ever #HumanErrorChampion.”
Meanwhile the hashtag “HumanErrorChampion” was trending on Twitter.
The drama added to the feud between Verstappen and Hamilton ahead of race day in Bahrain, although it doesn’t appear that the pair will come close on the track.
With Mercedes lacking pace all weekend Hamilton may spend more time looking over his shoulder and defending the chasing pack, rather than challenging the Ferraris and Red Bulls up the road.
Lights out at the Bahrain International Circuit is at 3pm UK time for the 2022 F1 season opener. More

LEWIS HAMILTON reignites his rivalry with Max Verstappen for real today as the F1 season kicks off in Bahrain.And the Brit has promised to be “more aggressive” this year after being roughed up by the Dutchman, who won the title in controversial circumstances.
Lewis Hamilton has promised to be more aggressive this seasonCredit: Splash
Max Verstappen pipped the Brit to the F1 title last seasonCredit: Reuters
The two came to blows spectacularly at Silverstone and Monza while they also had a near miss in Sao Paulo and clashed in Jeddah.
But it was the final race that caused the biggest uproar when Michael Masi, the former FIA race director, failed to follow safety car rules to allow Verstappen to pass Hamilton on the final lap to win the race and the title.
Hamilton spent the off season licking his wounds and has promised to come out swinging as he looks to win a record eighth world title.
He said: “I will be a more aggressive driver this year, you’ll see.”
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Masi has since been axed from his role following an FIA investigation – which blamed the controversial season finale on “human error” – which but Hamilton says he will not be distracted by the disappointing end to the last campaign.
He added: “I don’t hold any grudges. I don’t have any baggage going into the season. It is important to let go.
“All I can do is try and shape what’s ahead. I can’t change the past. I’m just approaching the season trying to be the best that I can be.
“I want to see if there’s a way I can somehow raise my game — drive at least how I was at the end of last season.
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“And just that collaboration with the team, there’s going to be lots and lots of hurdles along the way. But I love that.
“I don’t have that [revenge] viewpoint. I think I’ll just try and be the best driver I can be this year.”
However, Hamilton, who has a new teammate in fellow Brit George Russell, faces a massive headache if he is to beat Verstappen in Bahrain – in more ways than one.
Mercedes have warned that their new car for this season was not quick enough while they also struggle to get to grips with the new rules changes.
Amd that was evident in qualifying yesterday, with Britain’s knight of the round track only making fifth place on the grid today.
Their new design is causing their car to bounce up and down at top speed, making it difficult to control and extremely uncomfortable to drive.
To add to Hamilton’s concerns both Verstappen’s Red Bull and the two Ferraris look incredibly quick.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole with Dutch champ Verstappne just 0.1 seconds behind in second place.
Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz in in third, while the second Red Bull, driven by Sergio Perez, is in fourth.
And things were even worse for Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell, who will start in NINTH. More