2021 Bahrain Grand Prix (CFJ)

The 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021) was a Formula One motor race that took place over 57 laps on 28 March 2020 on the 'Grand Prix Circuit' configuration at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. The race was the first round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. It was the seventeenth time that the Bahrain Grand Prix has been run as a round of the Formula One World Championship.
== Background ==
=== Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ===
The Bahrain Grand Prix was run with minimum fans, and all had to be within a certain distance of the circuit. Due to the postponement of the Australian Grand Prix, this was the first time Bahrain was the season opener since 2010.
== Qualifying ==
=== Qualifying classification ===
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor 	Qualifying times	Qualifying times	Qualifying times
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor 	Q1 	Q2 	Q3
1 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	Mercedes 	1:28.342 	1:28.000 	1:27.105
2 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes 	1:28.345 	1:27.861 	1:27.246
3 	33 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull-Honda 	1:28.214 	1:27.432 	1:27.301
4 	11 	Sergio Perez 	Red Bull-Honda 	1:28.427 	1:27.331 	1:27.509
5 	16 	Charles Leclerc 	Ferrari 	1:28.496 	1:28.059 	1:28.401
6 	4 	Lando Norris 	Mclaren-Mercedes 	1:28.345 	1:28.401 	1:28.408
7 	55 	Carlos Sainz 	Ferrari 	1:28.566 	1:28.054 	1:28.001
8 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	McLaren-Mercedes 	1:28.501 	1:28.322 	1:28.112
9 	14 	Fernando Alonso 	Alpine-Renault 	1:28.769 	1:28.306 	1:28.221
10 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1:28.909 	1:28.355 	1:28.304
11 	10 	Pierre Gasly 	AlphaTauri-Honda 	1:29.004 	1:28.404 	
12 	31 	Esteban Ocon 	Alpine-Renault 	1:29.231 	1:28.649 	
13 	18 	Lance Stroll 	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1:28.903 	1:28.990 	
14 	22 	Yuki Tsunoda 	AlphaTauri-Honda 	1:28.807 	1:29.766 	
15 	63 	George Russell 	Williams-Mercedes 	1:29.202 	1:29.801 	
16 	99 	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 	1:29.642 	 	
17 	7 	Kimi Raikkonen 	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 	1:29.800 	 	
18 	6 	Nicholas Latifi 	Williams-Mercedes 	1:30.114 	 	
19 	47 	Mick Schumacher 	Haas-Ferrari 	1:30.126 	 	
20 	9 	Nikita Mazepin 	Haas-Ferrari 	1:30.282 	 	
== Race ==
=== Race report ===
Hamilton got the jump at Bottas and passed him in turn 1. Bottas also lost out to Perez, and in the process, turned Max Verstappen around. Behind were the McLaren's, Leclerc, Vettel, Ocon, Sainz and Stroll. Bottas sustained damage to his front wing and stopped at the end of Lap 1. Ricciardo passed Norris for 3rd on Lap 3, using DRS. Vettel also passed Leclerc for 5th on the same lap.
On Lap 34, Esteban Ocon became the first retirement of the race, suffering a Gearbox issue. This triggered a Virtual Safety Car. When the VSC disappeared and the field got back going, Vettel had trouble getting up to speed, dropping him down from 5th to 9th. Eventually, on Lap 43, Vettel came into the pits and retired. Yuki Tsunoda also spun trying to pass Lance Stroll on the same lap.
With a few laps left, Sergio Perez was closing on Lewis Hamilton for the lead of the race. With 2 laps left, Perez tried to pass Hamilton, but couldn't make it work. Perez got DRS and Hamilton and initially passed him on the straightaway, but ran wide and conceded the lead to Hamilton, who won the season opener ahead of Perez. Ricciardo also scored a podium on his debut with McLaren.
=== Race classification ===
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Points
1 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes 	57 	 	25
2 	11 	Sergio Perez 	Red Bull-Honda 	57 	+0.401 	18 (1)
3 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	McLaren-Mercedes 	57 	+26.678 	15
4 	33 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull-Honda 	57 	+27.781 	12
5 	4 	Lando Norris 	McLaren-Mercedes 	57 	+35.687 	10
6 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	Mercedes 	57 	+43.381 	8
7 	55 	Carlos Sainz 	Ferrari 	57 	+1:02.455 	6
8 	16 	Charles Leclerc 	Ferrari 	57 	+1:12.036 	4
9 	14 	Fernando Alonso 	Alpine-Renault 	57 	+1:15.039 	2
10 	10 	Pierre Gasly 	AlphaTauri-Honda 	57 	+1:22.047 	1
11 	18 	Lance Stroll 	Aston Martin-Mercedes 	56 	+1 Lap 	
12 	63 	George Russell 	Williams-Mercedes 	56 	+1 Lap 	
13 	7 	Kimi Raikkonen 	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 	56 	+1 Lap 	
14 	99 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 	56 	+1 Lap 	
15 	22 	Yuki Tsunoda 	AlphaTauri-Honda 	56 	+1 Lap 	
16 	6 	Nicholas Latifi 	Williams-Mercedes 	56 	+1 Lap 	
17 	47 	Mick Schumacher 	Haas-Ferrari 	56 	+1 Lap 	
18 	9 	Nikita Mazepin 	Haas-Ferrari 	55 	+2 Laps 	
Ret 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	Aston Martin-Mercedes 	43 	Power Unit 	
Ret 	31 	Esteban Ocon 	Alpine-Renault 	33 	Gearbox 	
Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (1:32.430)	Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (1:32.430)	Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (1:32.430)	Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (1:32.430)	Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (1:32.430)	Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (1:32.430)	Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (1:32.430)
 	 	 	 	 	 	
; Notes
; ^1 – Includes one point for fastest lap.
== Championship standings after the race ==
; Drivers' Championship standings
{| class="article-table"		Pos.	Driver	Points
		 	 	
		 	 	
		 	 	
		 	 	
		 	 	
		 	 	
* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
Category:CFJ