BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX - TEAM FERRARI AND CHARLES LECLERC ALL THE WAY!!

 

A Very Big Congratulations to Team Ferrari and Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for achieving P.1 and  P.2 position  at the end of the opening race of the Formula 1 Grand Prix 2022 Season in Bahrain of Sunday 20th March 2022.

A Very Big Congratulations also for Team Mercedes and their racers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, for making it to P.3 and P.4 respectively.

Now, what can I say about this Grand Prix? Yes, I could say much, some of which might not really need to be said. 

During the Practicing and Qualifying sessions, the dominant teams were Ferrari and Red Bull, with Team Mercedes unconvincingly trying to play 'catch the leaders.' 

Similarly, during the Grand Prix, it seemed clear that all Team Mercedes and Hamilton and Russell could manage with their below par racing machines.  

Was to race with all their professional acumen, keep away from unwanted potential car-to-car embraces.  

And endeavour to put themselves in the right places at the right time to maximise whatever advantages they could extricate from any opportunities they were presented with.

And so it was that, just as the intrepid Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Sainz appeared to have been bonded to P.1 and P.3 positions on the Golden Thread surrounding the circuit. 

With the unyielding and powerful Max Verstappen separating them by holding onto to P.2. 

Fate cruelly intervened, with the gods, apparently with a sense of mirth rather than malice, deciding to throw Pierre Gasly's Alpha Turi's to the side of the circuit and set fire to it, in the 46th lap of the race. 

In doing so, the the fortuitous act of the gods added to what was already an exciting and punchy first race of the season. 

Because, as we watched the Safety Car leading the eager and watchful racers around the circuit, what would have been most prominent in everybody's mind was this. 

Would Max Verstappen be able to overtake Charles Leclerc at the re-start and deprive him of what was to have been a much deserved win? 

As it transpired, this was not to be the case. Leclerc was not in the weakened position that Hamilton was in at the ending of the Abu Dhabi race at the close of the 2021 Formula 1 season. 

Indeed, not only was Max not able to keep up with the Leopard-life dash of Leclerc, but it was to be his and his team-mate's, Sergio Perez, fate, that reliability issues were to dramatically bring their race to a poignant end.

And as the Team Red Bull's duo's race faded and stuttered to a stop, their chagrin was balanced out by Team Mercede's duo's good fortune. 

Because, having placed themselves in the optimum position, Hamilton was able to place himself on the Podium at P.3, while Russell placed himself at P.4. 

Which is a much better placement than Team Mercedes had realistically expected.

Judging from the preparations and outcome of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the indications are that we are in for a very competitive Formula 1 season.