The F1 season kicked off with an exciting race in Bahrain where Max Verstappen took the victory. Just behind was his teammate Sergio Perez while Carlos Sainz managed to take third.

In fourth place was Charles Leclerc who experienced front brake locking issues throughout the race. Also experiencing issues were the Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who got fifth and seventh place, respectively. Russell was having trouble cooling the engine while Hamilton endured a battery charging problem. Williams driver Alex Albon, who finished in 15th, also experienced overheating and power deficits issues with his Mercedes engine.

Notably on the bottom half of the grid were Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Estaban Ocon who took home 17th and 18th, respectively. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin was having difficulty fighting against Mercedes and McLaren and finished in ninth after having started the race in sixth. Alonso’s teammate, Stroll managed to gain positions back and finish in tenth after a first-lap incident with Nico Hulkenberg. During the race start the Hass driver, Hulkenberg, tapped the back of Stroll’s car at Turn 1 causing the Aston Martin to spin out.

Drama also ensued when Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda was asked to swap positions with teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Tsunoda eventually ceded his position; however, nearly collided with Ricciardo on the lap back to the pits post-race.