Bahrain Grand Prix race day

By: Geoff Creighton

Summary


	Hamilton wins the Bahrain Grand Prix, Leclerc suffers MGU-H failure
	Vettel spins and loses front wing while fighting with Hamilton, drops to fifth
	Race ends behind the safety car as both Renault's retire simultaneously
	Promoted: Head to www.pitstopbetting.com and place your bets this weekend on our new desktop site

Status: Stopped

20:13 Wow. What a race that was.

We're going to end our coverage there and head up for air quickly before the post-race media sessions get into full swing. Thanks for joining us throughout the weekend - we'll leave you with our full report on Hamilton's unlikely Bahrain GP victory.

Bahrain GP: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 as Ferrari implodes

Lewis Hamilton claimed an unlikely victory in a thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix, as Ferrari's race imploded spectacularly with an engine problem for Charles Leclerc and a spin for Sebastian Vettel.

20:05 "We'll check everything we can" vows Binotto post-race. Heartbreaking for Ferrari tonight, but there's still a long season to go.

20:01 Leclerc's the first Monegasque driver to stand on an F1 podium since Louis Chiron in 1950...at Monaco.

19:58 Just one point separates Bottas and Hamilton after two rounds, 44 to 43 at the top of the standings.

19:57 Brilliantly magnanimous from Leclerc. Chapeau.

19:56 "It's a very hard one to take," says Leclerc, understandably. "It's a shame to only finish third, but it's part of racing and we'll come back stronger."

19:53 Muted celebrations from both Mercedes drivers, as Hamilton immediately jumps out of the car to console an understandably desolate Leclerc.

19:52 Hamilton immediately shrugs off engineer Pete Bonnington's usual congratulations - "that was extremely unfortunate for Charles, he drove a great race." he muses. "We've got work to do to keep these guys off our tails."

19:50 That's also the first points for Norris and Albon in F1, a great effort by both drivers.

19:50 Raikkonen beats Gasly to finish seventh, while Albon and Perez complete the points finishers.

19:49 Verstappen is fourth ahead of Vettel, who had a problematic race, while Norris scores an excellent sixth for McLaren.

19:49 Bottas finishes second, and long-time runaway leader Leclerc completes the podium.

19:48 The safety car does just that, and Hamilton leads the train of cars over the finish line to win the Bahrain Grand Prix.

19:48 "The safety car is going to come into the pitlane, and that's going to be chequered flag," Hamilton is told.

19:47 That also means Leclerc will hang on to a podium spot - some consolation at least for the Ferrari man.

19:46 Hamilton catches the safety car just before the start/finish line, so the race will finish like this.

19:44 That's shuffled the order; Norris is up to sixth with Raikkonen in seventh. Gasly, Albon and Perez also seem set to score their first points of the year.

19:44 We're on the penultimate lap, and it doesn't look like those cars are going to be recovered in time before the start of the final lap - so it should finish under safety car conditions.

19:43 "Everything just cut out," said Ricciardo. Braking into turn 1, the car just seemed to switch off - and Hulkenberg had another issue there too! Nightmare for Renault.

19:43 The safety car is out. as a result of those Renault stoppages - has that saved Leclerc?

19:42 Both Renaults are off the road at turn 2!

19:42

19:41 Verstappen is four seconds behind the Ferrari in the fight for the final podium spot. Three laps to go.

19:41 The inevitable is done as Bottas breezes past Leclerc into Turn 1. Who had a Mercedes one-two at the start of the race?

19:40 "With this pace can we catch him?" asks Verstappen of his position relative to Leclerc. Red Bull tells its driver "Yes."

19:39 That's Gasly past Ricciardo, then - ninth place for the Frenchman, and should cement his first points for the Red Bull team.

19:39

19:39 Less than three seconds now between Leclerc - whose latest lap is a 1m41.485s - and Bottas.

19:38 Hamilton appears to say his "downshifts are clunky". He looks pretty safe, though.

19:37 Leclerc has 8s in hand now over Bottas with five laps to go.

19:37 "Target lap time 1m38.0s," Leclerc is told, but he immediately replies, "I can't, I can't, I can't. Because by going so slow we are spending a lot of time on the straights."

19:37 Gasly's just a second behind Ricciardo now, one for Red Bull to salivate over...

19:36

19:35 Leclerc gets agitated over the radio as he is told to "follow the numbers on the dash" and then to "keep calm".

19:35 All of the attention's on Leclerc's ailing Ferrari, but there's still plenty going on up and down the field. Raikkonen's still all over Norris, but the Brit's absorbing his efforts to pass like a sponge.