A 2 Horsed Race

 

It was 105 days on Sunday since the last F1 Grand Prix was held in Abu Dhabi late last year. And if you ask any Formula 1 fan across the globe, boy was the wait worth it. 

Following an intense 3 days of pre-season testing at the very same track in Bahrain, there were 3 key takeaways. First, Red Bull Racing had made some incredible strides over the winter - closing up the gap to the Mercedes who have reigned supreme in this turbo-hybrid era. Second, the midfield battle was going to be ever more competitive with Alpha Tauri, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, Alfa Romeo, and Aston Martin all in the mix. Third, low-raked cars were going to suffer far more this season with the updated aero rules put in place by the FIA. 

If you looked at the race result on any sports website this morning, you would have thought that 'Oh, it's the usual. Hamilton winning the race with Verstappen splitting the two Mercs...nothing new there.' The narrative however could not have been more different. 

After a splendid qualifying session that put the Dutchman at pole for the race, all eyes were on the Red Bulls who led every single session this weekend. Unfortunately, Max's new teammate - Sergio Perez, did not have the same luck, qualifying in 11th. Moments before the race, an electrical complication in his car meant that he would stop halfway through the formation lap, revive his RB16 and begin the race from the pitlane. 

This year's Sakhir Grand Prix appeared to be far different than previous years with the role of strategy being vital. To undercut, to overcut, to continue a long stint - all permutations that were being thought of up and down the pit wall. It was Mercedes who blinked first, bringing Hamilton early on to a new set of hard tyres. This forced Red Bull to run longer on their first set of medium tyres which meant that they would have the pace to come back later in the race. A poor pitstop for Bottas - 10.9 seconds - meant that he was out of contention of winning. Regardless, he would not have stood a chance given the incredible pace of both Verstappen and Hamilton. 

A final set of pitstops around lap 40 meant that Verstappen had 15 laps to bring a 9-second lead that Lewis had to 0. 15 laps of intense, skilled, brilliant racing it must be said. Hamilton having to manage his tyres, Max pushing to the maximum to catch the Briton down. And he eventually did with 3 laps to go, albeit leaving the racetrack to make the move which resulted in the position being handed back to Lewis. From there the 7-time world champion was able to fend off the flying Dutchman from what would have been his first-ever win in Bahrain. 

Many questions are looming around in the F1 community however about exceeding track limits at turn 4. Not once, not twice but on 29 different occasions did Lewis Hamilton exceed track limits which would have given him a lasting advantage. However, with the FIA deeming track limits to only be put in place during practice and qualifying, the Briton remained unpenalised till the rule was set in stone more than halfway through the race. A lot of pressure has been put on the FIA about ambiguity and what you define as a lasting advantage - problems which they will have to address in the upcoming races. 

It is a slight shame however that the Flying Finn could not bother the two front runners. With the Merc under him in the same conditions at his teammate, I still feel there is a lot that he has to prove and extract from the car. Hats off to Max for driving a brilliant race. Competition is always brilliant even if it makes your blood boil. F1 looks to have rejuvenated that fight between the top drivers once again. 

The battle at the top was intense. Yes. But the midfield battle was equally as fierce. A brilliant drive for Lando Norris coming home in 4th with Perez hot on his heels after starting the race from the pits. If he can show this potential in the upcoming races, both the Mercs and Max will have another race contender amongst them. It was brilliant to see the Scarlet Red Prancing horses back in the points with Charles and Carlos in 6th and 8th respectively. The Honey Badger coming home in 7th with Yuki Tsinoda and Lance Stroll rounding out the points. A special mention to Yuki for becoming the youngest driver on debut to be in the points since Stoffel Vandoorne back in 2016.

A day to forget however for Nikita Mazepin, spinning out on only the 3rd corner of the race, Sebastian Vettel - who caused a collision and gained a 10-second penalty, Fernando Alonso who suffered from brake issues, and Pierre Gasly whose front wing was ripped off after touching Danny Ric. Meanwhile, with the Alfa Romeo's doing a splendid job on the cusp of points finishes and Williams also up there with George Russell, there is plenty to play for this season. 

If this race was an indication of what F1 is about to be like for 2021, we are in for a season like no other. It is unfortunate that the next race is 3 weeks away, with a whole year to host all races. Till then, stay safe, stay fast.