MANAMA, Bahrain – Mercedes five-times World Drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton won the 2019 Bahrain F1 GP on Sunday (March 31) after engine trouble denied Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc what could have been his first F1 victory.
the youngster third but the win would have made him Ferrari’s youngest race winner, at 21, after starting from pole and leading most of the race.
Hamilton and team mate Valtteri Bottas, lapping far faster than the sick Ferrari, caught and passed him for a 1-2 finish. Hamilton said later: “It was extremely unfortunate for Charles. He drove a great race. – we’ll have work to do to keep these guys off our tails.”
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The race finished with the field following the a pace car deployed while track crew removed Daniel Ricciardo’s stranded Renault.
Hamilton’s F1 win was his 74th but he’s still 17 short of Michael Schumacher’s 91 and second in the championship table thanks to team mate Bottas’ free point for driving the fastest lap in the season-opening Australian GP.
Third was still a first F1 podium for Leclerc and his extra point for the fastest lap of the race will be useful. He told the news media later: “It’s a very hard one to take. It’s a shame to only finish third, but it’s part of racing and we’ll come back.”
