Hamilton wins after Leclerc loses power and other talking points from Bahrain GP

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  • Lewis Hamilton was handed a dramatic victory in Bahrain after a cruel engine problem denied Charles Leclerc a maiden win.

    Leclerc was on course to become the third-youngest winner in Formula One history following a commanding drive.

    But with just nine laps remaining, Hamilton took advantage of the Ferrari’s lack of speed to sail past the young Monegasque and take an unlikely win.

    Valtteri Bottas sealed second place, and secured an improbable one-two for Mercedes.

    Here, we look at the key talking points from Bahrain.

    LECLERC LOSES POWER

    It was heartbreaking to see the Monaco man denied a maiden victory, especially knowing there was nothing he could do when his engine faltered.

    The 21-year-old was utterly dominant all weekend and deserved to be the winner in Bahrain, but motorsport is cruel and an issue with the hybrid power unit meant he was unable to maintain pace and subsequently finished third.

    Still, a podium place is better than nothing, especially considering a safety car on the final lap stopped Max Verstappen from passing him.

    In the race itself, Leclerc had a bad start from pole and was beaten to the first turn by teammate Sebastian Vettel. However, he kept pushing hard, stayed composed and overtook the German on the back straight of lap six. From there, he looked on course to seal a maiden win, but an engine problem saw him struggle for pace.

    HAMILTON TAKES COMMAND

    The Briton capitalised on Leclerc’s engine troubles to lead a Mercedes one-two and put the Silver Arrow back in control of the championship.

    It wasn’t all plain sailing for the 34-year-old and his race really only came alive on lap 35 when he pitted for medium tyres. Four laps later, he showed superb race craft to overtake Vettel and clinch second place.

    Once Leclerc’s car started to slow done on lap 48, Hamilton closed in and took charge for his 74th career win.

    VETTEL FALTERS… AGAIN

    Another error.

    Sitting in second, Hamilton passed him around the outside and his car spun in the battle. A few seconds later, he lost his front wing and was forced to pit for a third time.

    Coming out in seventh, he was only able to make up two places and subsequently finished fifth, with his car struggling with severe damage.

    It’s a shame to see the four-time world champion continuously make mistakes when he is under pressure, again posing the question about his temperament in the heat of battle.

    The only way for the German to respond is to come out and win in Shanghai in two week’s times.

    RENAULT MISFORTUNE

    Leclerc undoubtedly clinched Driver of the Day for his stellar display, but Nico Hulkenberg was just as influential until he was forced to retire due to engine failure.

    Starting from 17th, the German soared through the grid and was on course to finish fifth, but a mystery engine trouble saw both Hulkenberg and teammate Daniel Riccardo retire with two laps remaining.

    It was a blow for the Renault team given both drivers were on the cusp of securing points. The retirement aside, Hulkenberg proved he can compete well against Ricciardo.

    It will be one of the battles of the season.

    NORRIS STARS

    While all eyes were on Hamilton and Leclerc, Lando Norris was quietly going about his business in scintillating fashion.

    The 21-year-old looked confident and managed his McLaren well around the sweeping track of Sakhir to finish a stunning sixth.

    It was a first place in the points for the Bristol man and adds hope to a team low on confidence after many years languishing around the low end of the midfield.

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