In an epic second race of the F1 2019 season, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has won the Bahrain Grand Prix after an engine problem denied Charles Leclerc his first victory for Ferrari. Five-time F1 world champion Hamilton earned the win by doggedly sticking to his task despite lacking the pace of the Ferraris, but Leclerc was the one who captivated everyone.
The 21-year-old, in his second F1 season and his second race for Ferrari, showed extraordinary composure and skill on track and confirmed himself as a world champion in waiting. He built a solid lead and had the win in his grasp before suffering a mechanical problem with the turbo energy recovery system with 11 laps to go. Losing place after place, he ultimately came home in third behind Valtteri Bottas, while Hamilton gained the lead and took the win.
“Today was not our day. It’s sad because obviously I was so close of realising a dream that you have since childhood, which is your first win in F1,” said Leclerc. “Hopefully this day will come one day in the future. I’ll work for that, the team will work for this, but they should be proud about what they’ve done this weekend and we’ll come back stronger.”
