Lewis Hamilton Wins His Fifth Consecutive Spanish Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

The fourth event of the 2021 Formula 1 season, the Grand Prix of Spain was the second week in a row that drivers and teams of the top open wheel racing series were pressed into competition. So far in this grand prix year, a fierce battle between Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Red Bull Racing led by drivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has delivered on the pre-season precise of being a close, enduring affair. In qualifying, Hamilton’s #44 car narrowly bettered the Honda-powered race machine of Verstappen for what was the British driver’s 100^th career Formula 1 pole.

With two fairly equal competitors in 2021, the results in the past three grand prix events ended in favour of the party that avoided a major mistake. For the third time in four races, Lewis Hamilton would be the driver closest to perfection as he sailed to the win at the Spanish Grand Prix.

While the majority of the race was led by the Honda-powered Red Bull race of Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver was unable to hold off the rush of the #44 Mercedes. Placed on a two-pit stop strategy, Hamilton was trailing the Red Bull Racing entry shortly before he took a set of scuffed medium compound tires on lap 42. Falling to almost 24 second behind Verstappen when he returned to the track after leaving pit road, Hamilton methodically ran down the #33 car with lap times often a second faster than the leader. At the start of lap 60, the Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes AMG race car superior grip and some assist from DRS was too much for the Red Bull Racing pilot. Taking the lead into turn 1, Hamilton comfortably drove to his fifth consecutive victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/LAT Images/Pirelli

“What a day! It was a remarkable job by the whole team again this weekend and it’s so good to see fans back here.” said the defending Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion in a post-race release from the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team adding his pleasure to see several Union Jack flags in the grandstands. Lewis Hamilton’s 98^th career victory in the series places him in a 14-point lead in this season’s point standings after four races.

 

An opening start where Max Verstappen shot to the lead over the polesitter Lewis Hamilton was not effort to secure victory in Spain. Hindered by a tire change on the first pit stop that lasted more than four seconds and leading on worn medium compound tires towards the end of the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen came up short of winning again at the track where he claimed his first Formula 1 victory in his debut with Red Bull Racing in 2016. Verstappen’s second place finish comes with the consolation of claiming the race’s fastest lap. The #33 Red Bull Racing car was summoned to pit road for soft compound tires in the successful campaign for the extra point in the event. The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix was Max Verstappen’s 100^th start with the Red Bull Racing team.

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

As was the case with Hamilton and Verstappen finishing in the same spot as their qualifying position, third and fourth place on the starting grid crossed the line after 66 laps in the same spot. Valtteri Bottas grabbed the final podium spot with his Mercedes AMG race car while Charles Leclerc crossed the line in the fourth position. Overcoming a difficult qualifying outing where the Mexican settled for eighth place, Sergio Perez drove his #11 Red Bull Racing vehicle to fifth place at the end of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. The top-finishing McLaren Racing entrant of Daniel Ricciardo settled for sixth place. The Australian described the event in a post-race press release saying, “It was a good weekend. I would say the best weekend so far as a whole and I felt like I got the maximum out of the car today.”

Photo Credit: Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

The second Scuderia Ferrari car drive by Carlos Sainz Jr. was the highest-finishing Spanish native in the 2021 Formula 1 race on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso came across the line in 17^th place after a gamble to gain a top-10 finish on a single pit stop strategy on medium compound Pirelli tires failed to pay off. Alonso’s Alpine F1 Team teammate Esteban Ocon insured the squad gained points in the Spanish Grand Prix taking ninth place behind the McLaren Mercedes of Brit Lando Norris. Ocon was the only driver to collect points after the warm 66-lap event on a single tire change. Pierre Gasly finished 10^th and took the point final of the event in what was an aggressive fight for the spot in the final laps that involved Fernando Alonso and the Aston Martin F1 Racing Team’s Lance Stroll. The only driver not running at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix was Sceuderia AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda who retired on track due to a yet-to-be unidentified issue.

The next race on the Formula 1 racing calendar is the historic Monaco Grand Prix with the main event scheduled for May 23^rd.

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2021 Formula 1 Season
Spanish Grand Prix
Race Results
Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	Honda
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	Honda
6	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
7	55	Carlos Sainz Jr	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
10	10	Pierre Gasly	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
12	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
14	63	George Russell	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
15	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
17	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
20	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda

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Verstappen Scores Win While Mercedes Slips Up in Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Image/Pirelli

The second race of the 2021 Formula 1 season was a wet and wild affair thanks to some April showers on the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari prior to the start of the 63-lap event. A soaked race track presented to the field of 20 drivers and cars at the beginning of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix provided an antagonist as they adjust to the young season. As the water and slickness of the Imola circuit would claim almost every driver off-guard at some point in the Sunday event with varying consequences, a charging Red Bull driven by Dutch driver Max Verstappen weathered the on-track storm best.

The #33 Honda-powered Red Bull Racing machine of Verstappen capitalized on a well-timed launch at the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to aggressively take the lead from polesitter Lewis Hamilton. The Red Bull race car had roared from third place on the grid to edge out the Mercedes AMG machine into the second corner. Hamilton battled Verstappen through the opening set of turns but would fall back to second after clipping the track curbing causing minor damage to his car.

Photo Credit: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

While rain subsided for the actual race, the conditions on the wet Imola track proved treacherous as many drivers started on intermediate compound Pirelli tires. On the formation lap, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc spun on cold tires through the driver from Monaco quickly returned to the track and hold on to his fourth place grid position. The first retirement of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix came on the opening lap when Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi crashed in the second sector of the track. The Canadian lost control of his vehicle entering a corner when he locked up his rear wheels under braking. When he rejoined the track, he made contact with the Haas F1 Team driver Nikita Mazepin. This incident would be one of two occasions a safety car period was called.

The second safety car of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix came after a roughly one-lap period in the middle part of the race where both Mercedes AMG cars appearing in the gravel traps in separate incidents with one retiring. On lap 31, second-place runner Lewis Hamilton slid off track at turn 7 as he was lapping the Williams Racing car of George Russell. Although Hamilton’s #44 car was stationary for several seconds he was able to rejoin the race in seventh place. The reason for the safety car occurred on lap 32 as the #63 car of Russell and the #77 Mercedes AMG entry in the hands of Valtteri Bottas crashed. Battling for ninth place ahead of the entry to turn two, the drivers collided on the narrow track causing both to retire.

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

As Max Versteppen maintained a steady lead through the closing laps at Imola, Lewis Hamilton masterfully salvaged his race. On lap 55, the #44 Mercedes AMG car was able to overtake Leclerc’s Ferrari for third place and would stalk the McLaren-Mercedes race car driven by Lando Norris for the runner-up position. With the aid of DRS, Hamilton sailed by the McLaren just after the start of lap 60 to take the second place spot. Thanks to setting the fastest lap time of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on lap 60, Lewis Hamilton set maintains the drivers’ championship point lead arriving at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen’s 11^th career Formula 1 victory, the Dutch driver’s win at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix gives a lot of hope for a season-long rivalry with the seven-time and reigning Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Crossing the line in third place, Lando Norris’ second career series podium is redemption for the Brit after losing third place in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Saturday due to exceeding track limits in the run.

Photo Credit: Steven Tee/LAT Images/Pirelli

In fourth and fifth place after 63 laps at Imola, Scuderia Ferrari had a quietly successful team effort. Charles Leclerc led his new-for-2021 teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. across the finish line. Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10 for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The next Formula 1 event will take place on May 2^nd as teams return to the Algarve International Circuit for the Portuguese Grand Prix.

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2021 Formula 1 Season
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Race Results
Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	Honda
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
5	55	Carlos Sainz Jr	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
6	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
7	10	Pierre Gasly	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
8	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
11	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	Honda
12	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
13	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
15	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
16	47	Mick Schumacher	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
17	9	Nikita Mazepin	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
18	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
19	63	George Russell	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
20	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz

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On Track for Victory: Hamilton Fends Off Verstappen for Bahrain F1 Opener

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Following a 2020 Formula 1 campaign hindered the COVID-19 global pandemic that delayed the start of the season to July and resulted in a vast shuffling of the schedule towards a 17-race tour that ended in December 13^th, the participants and fans of the 2021 season for the motor racing grand prix are hoping that the majority of surprises will be restricted to the race track for 23 events. Despite the sanctioning body limiting teams to running modified versions of their 2020 chassis, the changes applied towards the assembly in this year’s grid are substantial. Seven of the ten teams have shuffled their driving rosters, Two teams adopted new identities and McLaren has switched from Renault to Mercedes-Benz power are also charges appearing on the 2021 Formula 1 grid.

What remains unchanged is the premise that this could be another season where the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team is the favourite to win week after week en route to a potential eighth consecutive Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship title. The team and its driving lineup consisting of Finland’s Valtteri Bottas and seven-time drivers’ champion and 94-time grand prix race winner Lewis Hamilton is expected to face a fierce fight from Red Bull Racing. The hungry, aggressive Dutch driver Max Verstappen is and the Austrian-based race squad’s newly-acquired veteran pilot Sergio Perez are both expected to act as a foil to the German team.

With more than three months of building anticipation, a new Formula 1 season starting with the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix would put speculation aside for on-track results. During Saturday’s qualifying on the Bahrain International Circuit, Max Verstappen and his #33 Honda-powered Red Bull Racing car claimed pole ahead of the two Mercedes-AMG runners. As the 20 cars completed the formation lap for the first race of the season, the second Red Bull Racing machine driven by Sergio Perez stopped on the track. The shutdown for Perez was brief and the #11 was able to continue but had to relinquish his 11^th place starting grid and started the grand prix from the pit road. The incident also required a second formation lap necessitating in a lap being removed from the 57-lap distance of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/LAT Images/Pirelli

Now a 56-lap event, the opening round on the 5.412-kilometer featured a successful start for Max Verstappen, the grand prix was short for Nikita Mazepin. The Russian making his debut with Uralkali Haas F1 Team didn’t make it beyond the third corner of the Bahrain International Circuit losing control under throttle on the first lap. A safety car called to tend to the stopped Ferrari-powered Haas F1 Team car.

Full speed action on track resumed after lap three but the race was slowed in the late stage of lap four for debris on track. Pierre Gasly received front wing and floor damage to his AlphaTauri machine after contact with the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo. Though the AlphaTauri driver would continue, Gasly was out of contention. Unrelated to the incident but occurring on the same lap, Mick Schumacher spun his #47 Haas F1 Team coming out of the fourth turn. Starting in his first Formula 1 grand prix, the 2020 Formula 2 champion and son of sporting great Michael Schumacher resumed after the spin to finish in his debut race.

 

Pit stops came early for many taking new tires between lap 12 and lap 18 planning a two-stop routine. Exceptions to the pit strategy included Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez. Buried deep in the grid misfortune in qualifying concluding in a 17^th place outcome, Vettel’s first run with Aston Martin Racing saw him climb as high as 7^th place attempting a single pit plan that involved a single stop on lap 24. For Vettel, the strategy failed to garner the results he desired with a penalty added late in the Bahrain Grand Prix when he rear-ended Esteban Ocon’s Alpine race car compounding what was a difficult debut with Aston Martin Racing. In his first race with Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez’s troubles prior to the race’s start resulted in him playing catch-up in the #11 car. The Red Bull Racing team pitted the Mexican during the safety car period on lap two and was able to stretch his next stop to a slightly later time than the other competitors. Sergio Perez would ultimately operate on a three-stop plan amounting to an impressive finish.

Retirements in the Bahrain Grand Prix were relatively light through the first half of the event with Nikita Mazepin being the only driver out. A growing list of drivers on the sidelines before the conclusion of the first Formula 1 race of 2021 would first add the #14 Alpine of Fernando Alonso. In the race where Alonso returned to the series and team related to his two drivers’ championship titles, he would retire to the garage on lap 34 due to rear brake issues. Pierre Gasly failed to finish the grand prix parking his AlphaTauri machine late due to lingering damage caused in his opening lap collision and the Williams Racing FW43B race car of Canada’s Nicholas Latifi also dropped out before the chequered flag due to a lack of power suspected to be a boost leak.

Vehicles exceeding course limits at the Bahrain International Circuit’s turn four were a persistent problem during practice and resulted in several times in qualifying being deleted. During the race, Lewis Hamilton’s line through the corner was cautioned against for exploring too much of the boundaries of the track. However, the race stewards enforcement of the track limits through turn four actually served to aid Hamilton in his quest for victory.

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

Verstappen and Hamilton swapped the top spot in the Bahrain Grand Prix during pit stop exchanges with Hamilton gaining first place after the #33 Red Bull machine pitted on lap 39. Rejoining the track 5.4 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen began to chase down the Mercedes-AMG racer closing to within DRS range (a one-second interval) by lap 51. On the 53^rd lap, the rapidly closing Verstappen pounced on the #44 Mercedes-AMG race car with a charge from turn three down the straight heading into turn four. Along the outside of Hamilton into the fourth corner, Verstappen’s #33 Red Bull Racing car would prevail on the way out of the turn. However, the new leader would be forced to surrender the position back to Hamilton due to Verstappen running wide through the weekend’s infamous corner. As the Mercedes-AMG race car regained the lead, the Red Bull Racing driver was unable to mount a meaningful challenge in the remaining laps of the race.

Standing on the top spot of a Formula 1 podium for the 95^th time in his career, Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix was a hard-fought effort operating on 11-lap older hard compound tires than his Red Bull Racing rival. Already holding and expanding records including most career wins and most career poles, the recently-knighted Brit claimed the all-time record for laps led by a single driver. Hamilton is currently vying for a record-breaking 8^th Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship with his third consecutive victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix acting as a good start on that amazing, competitive journey.

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Crossing the finish line just 0.745 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen’s second place result came after a strong effort from pole. As the first grand prix of the 2021 season, the presence of the Dutch driver’s #33 Honda-powered Red Bull Racing machine haunting the Mercedes-AMG cars of Hamilton and Bottas throughout the weekend provides hope for one of the more competitive seasons of Formula 1 in years. Despite the Red Bull Racing team missing out on winning their first season opening Formula 1 round since 2011, the organization can be pleased for both the pressure applied by Verstappen as well as a magnificent recovery for Sergio Perez. After 56 laps, the Mexican’s debut for the team netted a solid fifth place finish.

Taking third place and the final podium spot in the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix is the second Mercedes-AMG race car driven by Valtteri Bottas. The finish was a great result for the Finnish driver considering a troublesome second pit stop where an issue at the right-front wheel of the #77 car translated into a 10.9-second stop. Bottas was pitted for a third time on lap 54 in what was a successful bid to snag the point for the fastest race lap away from previous holder Max Verstappen.

Cars finishing in fourth and seventh place are both examples of an initially promising reunification for McLaren and Mercedes-Benz. Starting from seventh place, Lando Norris drove a steady race at Bahrain to take the highest spot short of the podium. Daniel Ricciardo’s first appearance in the orange and blue ended with a respectable seventh place run.

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

The fourth and final team to have both drivers finish in the top-10 is Scuderia Ferrari. Eager to put aside a much-maligned 2020 effort, the famed Italian group brought Charles Leclerc home in sixth place and Carlos Sainz Jr. to the chequered flag in eighth.

Kicking off his Formula 1 racing career in fine fashion, 20-year-old Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda scored points in his first race. Tsunoda’s debut with AlphaTauri saw the rookie battling through a tightly-contested mid-pack battle where he out-muscled Lance Stroll on the last lap for ninth place. Scoring a point in the first grand prix for the newly-branded Aston Martin Racing team, Stroll’s tenth place result is only the second time the Canadian collected a point in the opening round of a Formula 1 season. Though just a single point in their return to the grand prix grid after 71 years, Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team’s captured an honour that eluded its predecessor organization that operated in 1959 and 1960.

The second round for the 2021 Formula 1 season is scheduled for Italy’s Imola Circuit (also known as Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari). The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix race is slated for April 18^th.

2021 Formula 1 Season

Bahrain Grand Prix

Race Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	Honda
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	Honda
6	16	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
7	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
8	55	Carlos Sainz Jr	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
9	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
11	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
12	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
14	63	George Russell	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
15	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
16	47	Mick Schumacher	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
17	10	Pierre Gasly	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
19	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari

Verstappen's Early Red Bull Rush Takes Pole in Bahrain

 

Photo Credit: FIA Pool/LAT Images/Pirelli

An all-new season for Formula 1 has arrived with a slew of pre-season storylines set to be explored as engines turn over for the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix.

A consistent source of astonishment and a fair level of distain of competitors is the dominance of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. A constant fore-runner since the series’ adoption of the current turbo/hybrid power unit format, Mercedes-AMG with Valtteri Bottas as well as seven-time and reigning Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton continued to have winning pace last season. However, the 2020 season gave glimpses that Red Bull Racing could potentially achieve the enviable task of matching the performance of the German factory team. Max Verstappen’s Honda-powered race car frequently had the pace to fill the mirrors of Bottas and Hamilton last year, At the 2020 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen and Red Bull Racing put on an impressive showcase taking pole along with the race win convincingly. Though just one event, Red Bull Racing’s performance on the Yas Marina Circuit gives reason to consider 2021 may present Mercedes-AMG with battle unlike any experienced since their seven consecutive Constructors’ championship-winning seasons.

Ahead of Formula 1's season-opening 57-lap event, the 5.412-kilometer Bahrain International Circuit hosted Saturday qualifying to set the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Setting fastest time in the Q1 session, Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing team became concerned with the underside of his #33 RB16B race car after the Dutch driver rode a track curb. Though he was bettered on pace in Q2, Verstappen valiantly fought to take pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix late in Q3. Shortly after Lewis Hamilton grabbed the top spot with a 1-minute, 29.385-second lap time, the Honda-powered Red Bull flew across the start/finish line setting the pole of 1 minute, 28.997 seconds. Accounting for his top grid position at Formula 1'a last race of 2020, Verstappen has become the first non-Mercedes driver to score back-to-back poles since Charles Leclerc accomplished the feat during the 2019 campaign.

Though Max Verstappen provided Red Bull Racing with a major reason to celebrate after Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying, the second car driven by new team driver Sergio Perez had a less successful outing. Perez will start 11^th after attempting to advance beyond Q2 on medium compound Pirelli tires.

Photo Credit: Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.

Lewis Hamilton starts second for tomorrow’s Bahrain Grand Prix as the defending winner of the event. Setting a top time in the Q3 session that was 0.589 seconds short of Max Verstappen’s benchmark, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas will launch from third on the second row of the race grid alongside Charles Leclerc. Leclerc and his new teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. gave Scuderia Ferrari and their Tifosi to cheer taking the top two spots in the Q2 session aided by the use of soft compound tires. Sainz will start the Bahrain Grand Prix in eighth place.

Pierre Gasly’s Honda-powered AlphaTauri race car was fifth fastest in Formula 1 qualifying and will start the race beside Daniel Ricciardo who is making his debut with McLaren. McLaren’s return to Mercedes-Benz power showed promise for the squad through Friday practice and contributed to a sixth place after qualifying for Ricciardo and seventh for Lando Norris.

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

Two-time Formula 1 drivers’ champion Fernando Alonso’s return to Formula 1 racing after a two-year hiatus sees the Spaniard in ninth place ahead of Sunday’s main event driving for Renault’s rebranded Alpine F1 Team. Aston Martin Racing, the rebranded entity that was known as Racing Point last year, starts 2021 with a top qualifying effort coming from Canada’s Lance Stroll who will roll off the grid in tenth place. Stroll’s high-profile new teammate Sebastian Vettel will start the Bahrain Grand Prix in 17^th place after being impeded by local yellow flags in his Q1 session run.

The 2021 Formula 1 season opener is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. local time or 11 a.m. Eastern time.

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2021 Formula 1

Bahrain Grand Prix

Qualifying Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	Honda
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
5	10	Pierre Gasly	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
6	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
7	4	Lando Norris	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
8	55	Carlos Sainz Jr	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
11	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	Honda
12	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
13	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
14	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
15	63	George Russell	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
16	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
18	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari

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1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Red Bull Racing

Photo Credit: Andy Hone/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Team Grade: B+

Overall Season: 

Although Red Bull Racing has lost its dominant position in the Formula 1 tour in 2014 with the arrival of the turbo/hybrid powerplant format, the colourful race cars fielded by the Austrian energy drink company has maintained a place as a top-three team. For the 2020 season, Red Bull Racing entered its second year using Honda-supplied power unit installed in their RB16 chassis. While the team drivers mentioned handling complications with the vehicle at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the race car performed well overall.

In the hands of Max Verstappen, the #33 RB16 race car was a formidable entrant seen as being one of the few competitors capable of nearly matching the pace of the Mercedes-AMG race cars evident by three fastest race laps, two grand prix wins and a pole. Red Bull Racing’s second driver Alexander Albon encountered a less consistent outing in the #23 machine as he navigated his first full season with the team. Albon did manage to stage some noteworthy runs in 2020 including his first career Formula 1 podium. Deservingly, Red Bull Racing finished second in the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship after the year wrapped.

Achievements During 2020 Season:

With two race wins in the 2020 Formula 1 campaign, Red Bull Racing’s top triumphs in the season were actually more impressive that just claiming the top podium positions. Max Verstappen’s victories at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were the direct result of Red Bull Racing outfoxing the German factory team on race day with an advantage. The first victory of the year at the Silverstone Circuit saw Red Bull Racing exploit a weakness with the Mercedes-AMG cars’ ability to manage tire wear. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen finally ended up on the best side of a qualifying fight with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Following a great start, the Dutch driver’s second win for Red Bull Racing appeared to be better suited to the Yas Marina Circuit.

Scoring a total of 14 podium finishes between both drivers in 2020, the Bahrain Grand Prix served as the team’s best overall result. Aided by Sergio Perez’s late race retirement, Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon snagged podium finishes behind grand prix winner Lewis Hamilton. The double podium result for Red Bull Racing in the third-to-last event in 2020 was the first for the team since the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix.

Beyond the accomplishments of the drivers, Red Bull Racing’s unsung garage crew staged one of the most breathtaking exhibitions at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the race started. During the formation lap for Formula 1 cars on a wet Hungaroring race track, Max Verstappen’s and his vehicle on intermediate tires slid wide in turn 12. Impacting the safety barrier resulting in damage to the left front suspension and front wing, the #33 car was quickly attended to by the Red Bull Racing mechanics. A grateful Verstappen was able to finish second in the event thanks to his crew’s efforts. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Assembling a 2020 season that saw them functioning as the only viable challenger to Mercedes-AMG, Red Bull Racing ended the year as the second-best outfit. Most of the times outright beaten by the German automaker’s Formula 1 team, there were occasions where opportunities for better results slipped away. Despite finishing in the runner-up position in the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull Racing failed to score points in three grand prix events. McLaren, Racing Point and Renault only had one race apiece where neither vehicle finished in the top 10. Several mechanical problems and Max Verstappen’s unlucky involvement in an opening lap of the Sakhir Grand Prix proved costly.

Red Bull Racing has been spoiled by their wealth of grand prix talent that existed within their Scuderia Toro Rosso affiliate team. Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo all followed a route from the so-called ‘junior team’ to Red Bull Racing. In the past two seasons, the Austrian-based team has fielded two entries with noticeably varying consistency. While the #33 Verstappen car was a stable frontrunner, the second drivers have been seen as underachievers. Dropping Pierre Gasly in the middle of the 2019 season, Red Bull Racing put Thailand driver Alexander Albon behind the wheel for the remainder of last year and the full season in 2020. Albon has encountered much of the same obstacles of Gasly with Red Bull Racing. Receiving a new race engineers ahead of the British Grand Prix, the Thai Red Bull Racing pilot eventually gain two podiums but his performance remained uneven.

Team's Drivers: 

#33 Max Verstappen: A-

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

When the Dutch driver joined Red Bull Racing in the fifth round of the 2016 season, it was clear to the motorsport world the name Max Verstappen would become a spotlight athlete. In his sixth full season in Formula 1, Max Verstappen maintains a fierce level of aggression on the race track but continues to assert an attitude that some could call abrasive at times. 

The Dutch driver led the charge for the Red Bull squad in 2020 and was ultimately seen as ‘the best of the rest’ compared to the dominating performance of the two Mercedes-AMG team competitors. In 17 races, Verstappen claimed 11 podium finishes and the fastest laps in three grand prix events in addition to victories at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On four occasions, Verstappen was voted by fans as the Driver of the Race. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Max Verstappen was the only non-Mercedes-Benz powered Formula 1 entry to stand at the top of the podium. On two occasions in 2020, Verstappen took the chequered flag in first place beating the Mercedes factory team. 

The season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was perhaps the best drive by Max Verstappen. Taking the race’s pole by a narrow .025-second maring for Valtteri Bottas, the Dutch racer presented a masterful performance on Sunday reminiscent to some of the showing Mercedes-AMG were able to orchestrate in races this past season. Maintaining his lead from the start, Verstappen would cross the finish line 15.9 seconds ahead of Bottas.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Max Verstappen finished on the podium in all but one race when the vehicle remained running at the end of a grand prix. On the flip side of that number, the 2020 season featured five retirements for the #33 Red Bull Racing RB16 race car. For two of the DNFs, Verstappen was caught in an opening lap crash including the Sakhir Grand Prix where he had a hypothetical chance at winning if he remained in the race based on the way the event transpired. Verstappen also suffered a retirement at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola when a sudden tire failure sent him off the track and out of the race while running second.

With only Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen recording more DNFs in 2020, Max Verstappen’s failure to finish likely cost the Dutch drive the runner-up spot in the World Drivers’ Championship ending the season nine points behind Valtteri Bottas.

#23 Alexander Albon: C+

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Thanks to the high profile mid-season driver change pushing Pierre Gasly out of the team in favour of Alexander Albon, the Thai racer was almost immediately on the hot seat to perform in 2020. In his first full year with the Red Bull Racing squad, Albon proved to be less effective in races than teammate Max Verstappen but did manage some accolades. A first career podium at the Tuscan Grand Prix allowed Albon to become the first athletic competing under the flag of Thailand to claim such an honour in Formula 1. Adding another podium later in the season, Alexander Albon succeeded in proving himself behind the wheel of the RB16 race car. However, being constantly measured against a teammate that ended the 2020 season with two wins and eleven podium finishes were inevitable causing the driver of the #23 car to be judged against a high standard. 

Alexander Albon finished the 2020 Formula 1 tied with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. with 105 points in the season-long drivers’ standings but a second place scored by the Spaniard resulted in the Red Bull Racing driver settling one position behind in 7th place. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

In a unique grand prix held at Ferrari’s Mugello race track, Alexander Albon took his first career podium finish crossing the line behind the pair of Mercedes-AMG race cars. The podium result at the Tuscan Grand Prix was essentially an overdue honour for the Thai driver. Running within the top-three late in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix as well as at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, Albon’s hope to celebrate on a stage was foiled both times after contact with Lewis Hamilton.  

Although Alexander Albon was outranked in many aspects of the 2020 Formula 1 by Max Verstappen, the Thai driver leaves the past season better in one discipline. Albon finished all but two grand prix events compared to Verstappen’s five race retirements.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Alexander Albon performance during the 2020 Formula 1 season has been a roller coaster. Though he succeeded in putting the #23 Red Bull Racing car in a podium spot twice, the 17-round calendar also featured some less than stellar outings and missed opportunities for better placement. On lap 58 of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Albon spun as he battled Racing Point’s Sergio Perez for fifth place costing him and his team a point-paying finish. Albon was also out-qualified by Verstappen in every grand prix event in 2020 and earned a second row grid position on just three occasions. 

The lofty expectations of Red Bull Racing are difficult for many qualified Formula 1 drivers to live up it during a season. Alexander Albon performed well but not good enough for Red Bull Racing to field him in Formula 1 competition for 2021. His team elected to pick up hot free agent Sergio Perez to be the teammate to Max Verstappen next season with Albon remaining with the squad as a development driver.