F1: Hamilton takes full advantage to seal another one-two

World champion Lewis Hamilton got his first win of the new Formula One season in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas celebrate with the rest of the Mercedes AMG Petronas team after Sunday's Bahrain Grand success. Photo: Wolfgang WilhelmLewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas celebrate with the rest of the Mercedes AMG Petronas team after Sunday's Bahrain Grand success. Photo: Wolfgang Wilhelm
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas celebrate with the rest of the Mercedes AMG Petronas team after Sunday's Bahrain Grand success. Photo: Wolfgang Wilhelm

The Mercedes AMG Petronas driver took advantage of pole-sitter and long-time leader Charles Leclerc’s misfortune towards the end of the race at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

It was Hamilton’s 74th career Formula One victory, as he beat his Brackley team-mate and fourth-place starter Valtteri Bottas. Leclerc held on for the final podium position – the first of his career – after battling late-race issues with his Scuderia Ferrari.

But the race proved to be a problematic one for the Rich Energy Haas F1 team.

Kevin Magnussen struggled to find pace all evening but salvaged a 13th-place finish while Banbury team-mate Romain Grosjean could not overcome the effects of opening-lap contact and was forced to retire just 16 laps into the 57-lap race.

Magnussen held 15th position until two laps from the end, when the Renault Sport F1 Team’s Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg ahead of him in the order. Both of the Enstone team’s drivers stopped on track with issues, giving Magnussen his final finishing position of 13th.

Grosjean’s race was essentially over when Racing Point driver Lance Stroll made heavy contact on the opening lap. After completing his 16th lap, the team called him to the pits with significant damage to the floorboard, leading to his second consecutive retirement to start the season.