The unseen Verstappen problem that ensured Leclerc's Bahrain GP win

Max Verstappen’s fight for victory in the opening race of Formula 1’s new era and his first as defending world champion was ultimately ended by a fuel pump problem, although an unseen mechanical woe became key to him losing out to Charles Leclerc at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Alex Kalinauckas Mar 21, 2022, 9:20 AM

"Ferrari is back. And it is properly back."

So said Carlos Sainz, fresh from the joyful parc ferme scenes at the 2022 Formula 1 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, where he finished as runner-up to teammate Charles Leclerc. But for all his good work across the weekend, the Spaniard wasn't the story of the first race of the new campaign – the start of the championship's much-vaunted new era.

That centred on Leclerc's brilliance against the reigning world champion, who put in a sterling display of his own – battling car issues throughout the contest, long before a dramatic Red Bull reliability meltdown cost Max Verstappen dearly.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.