A long, very long fast that marked the fate of Ferrari. Singapore 2019 signed by Sebastian Vettel was the last race with the Italian anthem to resonate on the podium. Three years later, on the same circuit where Ferrari took one-two 12 years ago, the date zero has arrived. That of rebirth. We praised this F1-75 so much, the superfast engine it carries in its womb and the bold aerodynamic solutions. The work in Maranello has borne fruit, and now the time has come for Binotto, Leclerc, Sainz and the whole team to once again be on everyone's lips, to be the ones feared by the opponents, the ones acclaimed by the audience.
Charles Leclerc brings the Monegasque flag back to the podium, which coincidentally has the same colors as that of Bahrain. Precisely in Bahrain but in 2019 he smelled victory after starting from Pole in his first year with the red. However, the story wanted another ending. Until today.
The first Sunday with Formula 1 always has a special flavour. It's that appointment you just can't give up, that excuse to cancel any commitment and let yourself be overwhelmed by the electrifying atmosphere from the first light of dawn after months of abstinence. The arrival of the new regulation and the return of single-seaters with ground effect only increased the enthusiasm of the fans.
The lights in Bahrain enhance the sinuous lines of the revolutionary single-seaters born a year behind the original plan. The riders, back on the track, look at them with extreme love and excitement, they will be their companions in a long and intense season. Today, March 20, 2022 is the dawn of a new era, an era where anything can happen.
There are those who bet on the fruits of their work, there are those who, on the other hand, say they still have to find their own way, emphasizing the uphill work. There are those who are more superstitious and don't like to be talked about so soon. However, if there is one thing we can bet on, it is that we don't know where this long world championship will take us.
So we're still at the beginning, let's get the track talking. Let the traffic lights go out and the show begins.
Leclerc e Verstappen they are next to each other, like the old days, ready to do battle. Both start with an excellent starting point, Leclerc immediately blocks the trajectory and holds his position. Starts well too Lewis, while Sergio Perez slides back fighting with Sainz for the conquest of 3rd place. The first lap however, goes smoothly, up front everything remains unchanged. The McLaren andAlfa Romeo di Bottas they slide back
Strategies begin to upset the balance, the Mercedes suffering, he calls Lewis to the pits after just 12 laps, gives him a Hard that makes him skate. The Englishman moans as he is forced to duel with Zhou. The tires begin to degrade, the first to stop in front is Max Verstappen, which forces Ferrari to copy the strategies. Leclerc, Verstappen they cross each other several times, they smell each other, and they dance exchanging blows. The first opportunity for Verstappen comes with the activation of the DRS. The duel between the two continued, but Leclerc managed to break away and maintain a discrete advantage. If they give them, Max in a desperate attempt to overtake gets stuck and is forced to give up the position to Leclerc.
Two stops each, more than 40 laps on display, Max he is called to the pits for the third stop, in which he mounts the softs. Leclerc stays out, hoping for a miracle. Sainz e Perez enter to diversify the strategy. But the twists always come at the end. The first comes with an image that, unfortunately, we still have very clear in mind. In fact, Gasly is forced to stop due to a fire on his own AT03. The Safety Car therefore gives an advantage a Verstappen which approaches Leclerc, returned to the pits for the 3rd pit stop. However, the Monegasque manages to hold his position even after the restart launched. The second and fatal twist comes three laps from the end, Max Verstappen slow down after experiencing potency problems. The new world champion sensationally, in his first race after returning to the track, is therefore forced to retire. Misfortune hits Red Bull in its entirety, shortly after in fact, too Perez is forced to retire. Thus they rise in position Sainz, Hamilton, Russell, Magnussen even arrived in Top 5 and with a Haas.
This world championship could not have started in a more unpredictable and spectacular way. Already next week the second response of the season will arrive in Saudi Arabia.
Here are the results of this first Grand Prix of 2022:
| Pos | driver | Team | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | C. Leclerc Ferrari #16 | 1:37:33.584 | 26 | |
| 2 |  | C. Sainz Jr. Ferrari #55 | + 5.598s | 18 | |
| 3 |  | L. HamiltonMercedes#44 | + 9.675s | 15 | |
| 4 | | G. RussellMercedes#63 | + 11.211s | 12 | |
| 5 |  | K. Magnussen Haas #20 | + 14.754s | 10 |
| 6 |  | V. BottasAlfa Romeo #77 | + 16.119s | 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |  | E. OconAlpine #31 | + 19.423s | 6 | |
| 8 |  | Y. TsunodaAlphaTauri#22 | + 20.386s | 4 | |
| 9 | | F. AlonsoAlpine #14 | + 22.390s | 2 | |
| 10 |  | G. ZhouAlfa Romeo #24 | + 23.064s | 1 | |
| 11 |  | M. Schumacher Haas #47 | + 32.574s | 0 | |
| 12 |  | L. Stroll Aston Martin #18 | + 45.873s | 0 | |
| 13 |  | A. AlbonWilliams #23 | + 53.932s | 0 | |
| 14 |  | D. RicciardoMcLaren#3 | + 54.975s | 0 | |
| 15 | | L. NorrisMcLaren#4 | + 56.335s | 0 | |
| 16 | | N. LatifiWilliams #6 | + 61.795s | 0 | |
| 17 | | N. Hulkenberg Aston Martin #27 | + 63.829s | 0 | |
| 18 |  | S. PérezRed Bull #11 | DNF | 0 | |
| 19 |  | M. VerstappenRed Bull #1 | DNF | 0 | |
| 20 | | P. GaslyAlphaTauri #10 | DNF | 0 |
