VERSTAPPEN WINS THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA

It was the turn of the Bahrain Grand Prix for Round Sixteen of this years World Championship but it was held in Sepang, Malaysia... yes you read that right - due to the complications in the Middle East it was decided not to hold the race in Bahrain. But the story of the weekend is Max finally winning his first race this year. Title contender Kimi Antonelli takes home second with Lewis Hamilton somehow managing a third place finish in what was a chaotic race.

It was a race that was delayed due to rain for well over an hour but when we did get going it certainly delivered as it normally does in Malaysia.

We began with an intial formation lap in the rain to check the conditions which showed issues with the Ferrari power units as the Ferrari works team along with the customer teams struggling to get drive iin the wet, with Lewis stopping at one point on the start finish straight before getting going again.

We then waited for a bit longer with that start cancelled and it was time to do it again when the track had dried...

The race technically started when the cars left the pit lane as that was lap one, the second lap was then behind the Safety Car which took us to lap three which was the official start of the race with a standing start.

When we did eventually get going on lap three it was a great start from the Mercedes as they lead 1-2 with Antonelli in first and Russell in a close second into turn one with Verstappen dropping down to third from first with Lawson fighting hard behind him in fourth in the Racing Bull

The first retirement came just nine laps in when the Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas has ended up in the gravel and is stranded. The first Safety Car of the shortened race is deployed.

We go again four laps later on lap thirteen, with Antonelli leading into turn one but Verstappen eventually gets the lead of this race a few corners later with Russell now second with Kimi dropping into third.

It wasn't until lap forty three of fifty five when we had our second retirement in the shape of Alex Albon in his Williams who had stopped with some sort of power issue and is out. Intially the VSC is deployed before the full Safety Car is deployed on lap forty five to help recover the Williams.

It looked at this moment that Verstappen was winnig this race with the two Mercedes taking home second and third but it all changed on lap fifty while still behind the Safety Car the Mercedes of George Russell has pulled over on the start finish straight is out of the race with a power unit failure, very reminisent of 2016 in Malaysia when Hamilton had the same issue - it was that race that year that helped Rsoberg eventually go on and win his maiden World Championship - could history repeat itself?

We get the green flag on lap fifty two and Verstappen has gone and has a good gap to Antonelli who’s chasing in second with Hadjar in third on the restart.

And with just two laps left Lewis Hamilton is up into third! He almost broke down on the formation lap and was a minute behind the leaders at the start of this race and he leaves Malaysia with another podium on his CV and another trophy for his mantlepiece.

But Verstappen after nine years away once again leaves Malaysia a race winner. Nine years ago he won just his second ever Formula One race, today he wins his seventy second race.

The next race is the Singapore Grand Prix.

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