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The Bahrain GP delivered in ways not many expected it to. A Ferrari 1-2, a surprise Lewis Hamilton podium, and a Red Bull double DNF, these are the things that the fans did not expect before the race.
With the teams already packed up and on the way to their next destination in Saudi Arabia, let's revisit what transpired as we review the first race of the season.
2022 F1 Bahrain GP: Race Review
Overtake of the race
The new regulations were supposed to make wheel-to-wheel racing better than what it used to be last season. Bahrain, however, is not the kind of track where you can judge the efficacy of the new rules as it has been historically conducive for good racing anyways.
Having said that, the race featured some fantastic overtakes up and down the grid. The best one? Well, this has to be for the lead as Charles Leclerc responded to Max Verstappen's lunge down the inside in T1 with a rather clinical move around the outside in T4. It was hard, clean, and aggressive racing between the two young drivers.
Surprise of the weekend
If someone had said that Kevin Magnussen was going to race in a Haas at the Bahrain GP and finish 5th, he/she would have been termed a madman/madwoman. Yet, that was exactly what happened.
Magnussen is enjoying the best year of his career in 2022. He was supposed to take part in Endurance Racing this year. A late call from Haas, however, brought him back to F1, and then the best midfield car brought him back to points. This one will surely fall in that category.
Disappointment of the weekend
McLaren was the fourth fastest car when the F1 circus left Barcelona in February this year. Somehow, somewhere, it has all gone pear-shaped as the team languished near the bottom of the timesheets at the Bahrain GP.
What went wrong? It's hard to say, but the Bahrain GP weekend was a humbling experience for the team.
The biggest shock
Is there anything that can top the Red Bull implosion? First Pierre Gasly, then Max Verstappen, and then Sergio Perez. The Red Bull contingent lost points, a possible win, and a possible podium due to reliability issues. F1 is surely not the sport for the faint-hearted.
The driver of the weekend
After the first race of the season, is there any driver of the weekend other than the one who scored pole position, got the fastest lap, and then to top it all off, won the race? Surely not! Charles Leclerc was head and shoulders above everyone else at the Bahrain GP and the 26-point haul from the race is a testament to that.
