A fast-paced tangle of overtakes, clashes and desperation. This weekend revealed the importance of choosing the correct tyres and the brutal battles fought by passionate drivers.
Practice Makes Perfect
Let’s begin with the practice sessions. The sun shining in Bahrain led to several rookies from F2 and reserve drivers testing their time in an F1 car for the first time.
I want to reiterate the importance of practice sessions in Formula 1. They are crucial for optimising the best car results and understanding what tyre strategy to use for the race. From a driver’s point of view, they can build confidence in their abilities as they become more familiar with the track and understand where the danger zones are.
There were several issues in FP2, as Fernando Alonso’s (Aston Martin) steering wheel detached from the car mid-drive, and Lando Norris’s (McLaren) had a few lock-ups. Several cars went deep at turn 4, and there was an obvious disgruntled Max Verstappen (Redbull) in the car, annoyed with the driveability.
Russel (Mercedes) took a spin, and Hulkenburg (Kick Sauber) came to a halt on the gravel. The general consensus for the rest of the cars was that the Bahrain track was going to be a busy one.
As usual, Mclaren looked like the ones to beat, but qualifying is the real judge.
The Pressurised Pot of F1 Drivers
The sun has set, and the bright, white lights are harsh over the drivers’ cars as they drive along the track, setting up for the first round of qualifying.
The pressure was high for the Redbull team, with both cars needing to put in a good qualifying lap and Alex Albon (Williams) desperate to get into Q2. Both Redbulls just made it through, but the result was unlucky for Albon, who just missed out on getting into Q2. He was pinned to the post by Hulkenburg.
This was later changed due to Hulkenburg having a lap time deleted for going too far outside the white lines around the track limits. However, it was announced too late, as Albon was back in the garage and out of the car, and Q2 was halfway gone. This was a very bad mix-up for Williams, and James Vowels (Williams Team Principal) was frustrated with the FIA’s slow response, which cost Albon a chance at getting a higher position.
Esteban Ocon (Haas) lost it on the exit of turn 2 and crashed into the barriers, ending his qualifying in 14th place and with Bearman in 20th. It was a bad showing for Haas. A good showing for the rookies, with Hadjar in 12th and Doohan in 11th, showing the importance of settling into Formula 1.
Then we were into Q3, the driver’s final chance to get the highest position. Mercedes was impressive, with Kimi finishing in 4th, and Russel was in provisional pole with a stinking lap.
However, in the final few seconds, the McLaren boys were coming after him. Norris only managed 6th, next to Verstappen in 7th, a bit of a disastrous qualifying for him. It was the other Papaya that took pole position. Oscar Piastri soared ahead of the rest, showing that Mclaren’s real pace is unbeatable.
Opposing positions for Ferrari, with Leclerc in P3 and Hamilton in P8, means they have some work to do. Alpine’s surprising start, with Gasly in 4th and an excellent drive, suggests that maybe Alpine will score their first few points this weekend. And Tsunoda’s good final position in 9th, a much better showing than last week’s qualifying in his home race, is also encouraging.
Unfortunately, Russel and Antoneli were given a one-place grid penalty for heading out of the garage before the set time after Ocon’s crash.
Judgement Day
Now, we move onto Sunday, an exhilarating and windy race set to take place in Bahrain. The lights go out, and the race starts frantically. Piastri storms away as Russel makes a daring leap forward, fighting with Leclerc to regain his second-place finish in qualifying.
Leclerc then lost another position to Norris within a few corners of the first lap. It’s not looking good for Ferrari so far. However, Norris receives a 5-second penalty for starting too far forward in his grid box, creating more struggles for him for this race.
Many cars were attempting overtakes, swapping and changing places repeatedly. Antonelli and Sainz were deep in battle, and Bearman was fighting Hadjar for desperation to get up and into the points. Hamilton and Verstappen had some touchy moments, reminding us of the finish here in Bahrain a few years back, where Verstappen won his first world championship.
In this race, it was all about tyre strategy. Every team was on different tyres, some doing two stops, some doing three stops. It was a battle for all cars on the track. Leclerc was desperate to get past Norris, attempting to overtake him several times from Lap 22 onwards.
On lap 30, Tsunoda and Sainz made contact, and unfortunately, Sainz suffered a big blow to his car. A chunk of metal detached from the side of his car, causing a safety car for the severe debris on track. This also led to a reluctant retirement for Sainz, as his car was unable to be driven safely.
This was in favour of several cars that could pit under the safety car, and it meant Piastri had to restart again, but he performed flawlessly, soaring away from Russel behind. Norris lost two spaces on the restart with Ferraris overtaking him, but not for long. Norris managed to get past Hamilton, but he overtook outside of the white line, meaning McLaren ordered Norris to give the position back to Hamilton, putting Norris back down to 4th.
Norris fought his way out of it and managed to finally overtake the Ferrari’s and then was hunting down Russel on the final few laps. Russel had several car issues, and his transmitter and DRS caused him many problems. But he managed to hang on to 2nd and Norris in 3rd.
Piastri’s cool and calm mentality helped secure his second win this season and McLaren’s first-ever win in Bahrain.
On the last lap, Verstappen pins Gasly to the post and takes 6th position, with Tsunoda in 9th and Gasly finishing in 7th position. This means Alpine scores their first points for this season, finally showing they will be a contender this year. This is a fantastic outcome for Haas as Ocon secures 8th, and Bearman snags the last point in 10th. This is a brilliant rookie drive, starting 20th and finishing in the points.
A lacklustre ending for Aston Martin in 16th and 18th and the same can be said for Kick Sauber in 13th and 19th and the Racing Bulls in 14th and 17th. I hope to see more from these teams in the next few races, and it’s time to step up. An honourable mention goes out to Kimi Antonelli, who just came short in 11th but displayed some magnificent overtakes and hard but fair racing.
What does this mean for the rest of the season?
And with that, we come to an end of a very exciting race weekend. McLaren is surely the team to beat, with both drivers taking the first and second spots in the driver standings. However, this could lead to tension amongst the team regarding who they should prioritise later in the season.
Another battle that should be watched closely is between Haas and Williams. These two teams have a lot to fight for. They are considered underdogs, but with only one point between them in 5th and 6th, it’s clear that this year could reveal something else about these smaller teams, and this could be the year for them to achieve higher positions.
It’s a tight battle between all cars and all drivers, and I, for one, am eager to see the chaos that will unfold.
Until next time in Saudi Arabia.
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