Ferrari’s Leclerc wins season opening Bahrain Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari won the Formula One season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday after reigning champion Max Verstappen was forced out with engine trouble with just two laps remaining.

Carlos Sainz made it a Ferrari one-two while Lewis Hamilton snatched third place for Mercedes after Sergio Perez added to Red Bull’s disastrous day by spinning out of the race on the last lap.

George Russell, in his first race since replacing Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes, took fourth place to give Mercedes a double points score they could not have dreamed of in the middle of the race.

There was also a remarkable outcome for the Haas team, which got no points last season but Kevin Magnussen, who replaced Russian driver Nikita Mazepin as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, finished fifth in his first race since 2020.