2021 Bahrain Grand Prix

2021 Bahrain Grand Prix
Race 1 of 22[a] in the 2021 Formula One World Championship
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Race details[2][3][4][5]
Date 28 March 2021
Official name Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021
Location Bahrain International Circuit
Sakhir, Bahrain
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.412 km (3.363 miles)
Distance 56 laps, 302.826 km (188.167 miles)
Scheduled distance 57 laps, 308.238 km (191.530 miles)
Weather Clear, 21 °C (70 °F)
Pole position
Driver
Red Bull Racing-Honda
Time 1:28.997
Fastest lap
Driver Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
Time 1:32.090 on lap 56
Podium
First
Mercedes
Second
Red Bull Racing-Honda
Third
Mercedes
Lap leaders

The 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021) was a Formula One race which was held on 28 March 2021 at the Bahrain International Circuit, a motor racing circuit in the west of Bahrain. It served as the season opener of the 2021 Formula One World Championship, and was the seventeenth running of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

In Saturday's qualifying, Max Verstappen, having led all three practice sessions in his Red Bull, took pole position for the fourth time in his career. In Sunday's race, Hamilton claimed victory over Verstappen, who had tried to overtake him previously but only managed to do so by exceeding track limits, and who was told to give the position back. Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton's teammate, rounded out the podium, giving their team Mercedes a large lead in the Constructors' Championship. The race was marked by controversy on the rules surrounding track limits, with leading figures from both teams criticising what they saw as unnecessarily complicated regulations. This was the first time since the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix that Bahrain was held as a first round of a Formula One season. The race saw the debuts of 2018 Japanese F4 champion Yuki Tsunoda, 2020 Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher and Russian driver Nikita Mazepin.

  1. ^ Smith, Luke (28 August 2021). "Formula 1 reveals updated 2021 calendar, drops to 22 races". Autosport. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  2. ^ "F1 Schedule 2021 – Bahrain to host season opener as Australia moves later in calendar and Imola returns". www.formula1.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  3. ^ "F1 Schedule 2021 - Official Calendar of Grand Prix Races". Formula 1 - The Official F1 Website. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Bahrain". Formula 1.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Forix: 2021, Bahrain". Forix. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.


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