Charles Leclerc says Ferrari’s first Formula 1 victory since 2019 at the Bahrain Grand Prix is the perfect response after two “incredibly difficult” years.
Leclerc led every lap from pole position on his way to winning the first race of 2022, despite pressure from reigning world champion Max Verstappen and a late safety car period.
But after Verstappen hit trouble late on with a suspected fuel pump problem, Leclerc cruised home to claim his third career win, leading Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz across the line to complete a 1-2 finish for the Italian team.
The result marks the Scuderia’s first triumph in 45 races, dating back to Singapore 2019, following back-to-back seasons without winning for the first time since 1993.
Leclerc hailed Ferrari’s turnaround at the start of F1’s new era, which see him lead the drivers’ championship for the first time in his career.
“So happy. I keep repeating myself, but the last two years have been incredibly difficult for the team and we knew this was going to be a big opportunity for the team,” Leclerc said.
“The guys have done such an incredible job getting us and building this amazing car, so for now it’s starting in the best way possible: pole position victory, fastest lap, 1-2 today with Carlos.
“We could not hope for better, so yeah thank you to all of you guys that kept supporting us in the past two years. It hasn’t been easy but it’s incredible to be back at the top.”
Leclerc had a substantial lead over Verstappen due to Red Bull opting for a third pitstop when the safety car was deployed on Lap 46, but a great restart saw him pull away before the Dutch driver retired.
“I didn’t want it [the late safety car] now but then I did a great restart and that gave me a little bit of margin to then manage my race until the end,” Leclerc said.
Sainz, who equaled his career best finish, revealed he became aware of Verstappen’s issue after the restart, allowing him to move into second place and hand Ferrari its first 1-2 finish this decade.
“At the restart, I had a strong chance because I had a very clean restart behind Charles and Max,” Sainz explained.
“He defended well, to be fair. And then suddenly I started seeing some flashing red lights on the back of his car. And I said, ‘OK, this is my chance,’ I went for it.
“He was unfortunate. I think today he was driving well enough to get P2 but I had a good run on him and then he had to retire. So it’s what it is. And it’s good for Ferrari.”
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