Bahrain Grand Prix 2019
It’s now two one-two finishes in two races this season for Mercedes. Defending champion Lewis Hamilton claimed his first checkered flag of the year while team-mate Valtteri Bottas — who won in Australia — came in second in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
But don’t be fooled; Mercedes were far from dominant in the desert. The outcome in Bahrain could have been much different if not for the incredibly bad luck that befell Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the final few laps.
The young Ferrari driver was in charge for much of the race and was looking set for his first-ever grand prix win. But an ill-fated engine failure meant that those who wagered on Leclerc’s Bahrain Grand Prix 2019 betting odds to win were left empty-handed.
Highlights of the game
After a somewhat disappointing showing in Australia, things seemed like were looking up for Ferrari in Bahrain. It appeared as if the “corrections” they made after Melbourne were paying off in qualifying as Charles Leclerc grabbed pole position — the first of his career.
Meanwhile, his Ferrari team-mate– a four-time winner in Bahrain, including the past two years in a row — took second spot as the two Mercedes drivers were relegated to the second row on the grid.
However, Leclerc immediately lost the lead to Vettel as he quickly fell down to third in just the first lap. But he managed to overtake Bottas on the very next lap to re-establish a Ferrari one-two.
And it wasn’t long before Leclerc completely reclaimed the lead from Vettel in lap 6. And once he got back top spot, he proceeded to build up a comfortable lead out in front of the pack.
Meanwhile, Vettel was locked in a gripping battle for second with Hamilton. The Ferrari driver was doing his best to keep the champion at bay. But unfortunately, the German’s resistance finally gave out in lap 39 as he spun while duelling with Hamilton in what was easily one of the top Bahrain Grand Prix 2019 highlights.
And things went from bad to worse for Vettel as he lost his front wing down the back straight. Vettel was forced to pit once again, all but ending his chances of a third successive victory.
The bad luck did not end there for Ferrari, though. With just 10 laps to go, Leclerc suddenly reports that there’s a problem with his engine and begins to lose pace.
Leclerc’s engine troubles opened the door for Hamilton, who quickly closed the gap and eventually overtook the unlucky Ferrari driver for the lead on lap 48. Bottas also does the same as Leclerc sadly limped through the final few laps.
Leclerc was at least still able to hang on for a podium finish due to a safety car following Renault’s double retirement.
After the race, Hamilton and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff both heaped praise on Leclerc for his excellent performance, which was marred by bad luck. But that’s just scant consolation for a fantastic drive that really should have resulted in Leclerc’s first career F1 victory.
Key statistics
For the second race in a row, Sebastian Vettel’s winning streak at a race came to an end. Much like the Australian GP, the German had won each of the past two Bahrain Grands Prix.
But Vettel once again failed to complete the hat-trick, which also keeps up the fact that no driver has won in Bahrain for three consecutive years.
Meanwhile, Hamilton — who came into the race as the favourite to win according to SBOBET odds — picked up his third career victory in Bahrain and his first since 2015. Hamilton has now finished in the podium in each of his last five races in Bahrain.
After just two races, Mercedes have a commanding lead atop the constructor’s standings with 87 points; Ferrari are a distant second with 48.
What’s next?
Up next on the Formula 1 calendar is the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix on April 14. Ferrari made some significant strides in terms of performance following Australia, and they will look to do so again in Shanghai.
The Scuderia’s pace on the straights in Bahrain was particularly eye-catching. And with the Shanghai track having the longest straight on the calendar, that could play to Ferrari’s advantage.
However, Hamilton has dominated China through the years. He’s claimed a record five wins at the Shanghai International Circuit and has won in three of the last five years.
And as Bahrain showed, Ferrari will also need a bit of luck to go their way in order to get their 2019 season up and running.
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