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The Bahrain GP is done and dusted with Charles Leclerc winning the race and securing a Ferrari 1-2. Max Verstappen and Red Bull had what would later be described as 'the worst nightmare' for the team, while Lewis Hamilton picked up a fortuitous podium.
The race, however, had so much more than a fight for the lead. Some teams and drivers might leave the race happy with what they have achieved while others might leave with a bitter taste in their mouths. In this piece, let's take a look at the winners and losers for the Bahrain GP.
2022 F1 Bahrain GP: Winners and Losers
Winner
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari could not have made a better statement than with what they did in the Bahrain GP. Playing catch-up from the first free practice session, the team overhauled the gap it had to Red Bull by the time we reached qualifying.
Leclerc stood out with his pole lap and invariably it was that lap that gave him the initiative during the race to take the lead and never look back. The Monegasque's racecraft, one of the best on the grid, was on display at the Bahrain GP as he methodically took advantage of the second DRS zone at Turn 4 to take back the lead from Max Verstappen after the first set of pitstops.
All in all, Ferrari secured the maximum possible points from the race and that is the perfect launchpad for a season where every point is going to be crucial.
Loser
Red Bull and Max Verstappen
It might be a bit unfair to say this, but it did appear that Red Bull was not in its 'A-game' at the Bahrain GP. The team systematically lost the initiative to Ferrari throughout the weekend as Leclerc snatched pole position. Even in the race, it did appear that Ferrari had the answer to everything that Red Bull threw at them. To compound everything, the three retirements were a dagger through the heart for the team. Even if that was not taken into consideration, Red Bull lost out to Ferrari during the Bahrain GP weekend.
Speaking about Max Verstappen, it did appear that the Dutch driver was uncharacteristically mellow throughout the weekend. It's hard to doubt his pace and the way he was able to keep Leclerc in check throughout the race. One thing that was obvious before his retirement, however, was how he had well and truly lost out to Leclerc throughout the weekend. It did appear that the Red Bull-Max Verstappen combo missed the intensity of their title fight at the Bahrain GP. If they weren't up for it at the Bahrain GP, they would certainly be up for it now after a double DNF.
Winner
Ferrari customer teams
Haas and Alfa Romeo were 10th and 9th respectively in the 2021 constructors' standings. Both the teams had become patented backmarkers in the last few seasons and the fall in prominence of the Ferrari power unit did not help either. While it's no surprise that their resurgence coincides with Ferrari's return to the top, it is not all down to the Ferrari PU.
Both teams have made changes to their lineups and it was these changes in the form of Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen that resulted in a decent haul of points. It remains to be seen whether the two teams can carry on these performance levels but starting the season with points is a great start after a couple of below-par seasons.
Loser
Mercedes customer teams
The last six cars that finished the race were all Mercedes customer cars. In what should be termed a bit of a disaster race for the Mercedes customer teams, neither McLaren, Aston Martin, nor Williams looked competitive enough to even fight for points.
Does this coincide with Ferrari's return to the top or Mercedes' fall from prominence? There might be some truth to that, but for teams like McLaren, who scored a pole position and a win last season, finishing at the bottom of the order does not look good.
In the new era of F1, the Bahrain GP will raise concerns amongst these teams on how they can bounce back after such a dismal showing.
Winner
Kevin Magnussen
It's not often that your future changes in a split second and all of a sudden, you get a call to race in F1. Kevin Magnussen left the sport in 2020 disgruntled after how the last couple of years had transpired for him in F1. For the Dane, the dream didn't end there as he announced his return with a fifth-place finish at the Bahrain GP.
His return at the Bahrain GP showed a driver who could not keep the smile off his face. Haas has produced a quick car and Magnussen has found his sweet spot. While he will be looking to build from his result at the Bahrain GP, he will be happy with how things have turned around for him in F1.
Loser
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso let Esteban Ocon through three times in the Bahrain GP. For someone notorious for how he beat his young teammates, the result should have been humbling in so many ways. After the race, Alonso revealed that he was suffering from excessive tire wear throughout the race, which contributed to his drop in pace. For a 40-year old driver, in probably the last year of his contract, this was not the best of results.
