Postpublished at 15:35 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 19 of 57
Naughty timing screen. Max Verstappen is a soft kinda guy at the moment. Red rubber for the Red Bull.
Image source, Getty ImagesSummary
Max Verstappen wins season opener in Bahrain, Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez P2
Fernando Alonso passes second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz to claim a brilliant third place on Aston Martin debut
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc retires from third on lap 41
McLaren's Oscar Piastri out of debut race with apparent electrical issue, Alpine's Esteban Ocon also retires after several time penalties
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Use audio icon at top of the page to listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary
Postpublished at 15:35 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 15:35 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 18 of 57
Max Verstappen has joined the hard runners on the C1 white tyres. The Dutchman is back in front following his Red Bull team-mate's pit stop.
Sergio Perez is in third place now, behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, on the soft compounds.
Postpublished at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 18 of 57
McLaren are calling in Lando Norris again. His team-mate Oscar Piastri is already out of the race, is Norris in trouble too?
Image source, Getty Imagesget involved Get Involvedpublished at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
#BBCF1
Laura DS: Excruciating from McLaren for Piastri, full disaster
Andrew: Red Bull the class of the field, Ferrari the closest challengers, Mercedes are very hard on tyre wear while Aston Martin look to be very consistent.
'Bottas under the radar'published at 15:32 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 LiveValtteri Bottas has been really strong all weekend but gone under the radio at the same time.
Postpublished at 15:32 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 18 of 57
In comes Sergio Perez from the race lead for new rubber.
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 15:32 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 17 of 57
Esteban Ocon has been given a five-second time penalty for not being in his grid box at the start. The Alpine driver picks up his punishment and also a new nose.
Top fivepublished at 15:30 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 16 of 57
1. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
get involved Get Involvedpublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
#BBCF1
Yashar Faranjani: The need to preserve tyres is ruining the entertainment value of F1. Having to back off after the first lap is boring. Pirelli needs to sort their tyre compounds out so drivers can go full throttle from start to finish.
Postpublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Rosanna Tennant
5 Live F1 reporterA lot of waiting at McLaren - the wheel guns in the air, tyres changed and Oscar Piastri is just waiting patiently in the cockpit.
It looks like they may be retiring. There was a collective sigh by the mechanics.
It's all over.
Postpublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 15 of 57
A flurry of active as we near the end of lap 15 of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Ferraris and the Mercedes are now on the hard tyres, while Verstappen powers out in front of the red C3 soft tyres.
Team radio - Piastripublished at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Piastri: "I have lost gearbox."
Team: "Oscar we will box this lap and swap the steering wheel."
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 15 of 57
Disaster for Oscar Piastri. It looks like the rookie's day is over at McLaren.
Max Verstappen is next into the pits for another set of soft tyres.
Image source, Getty Images'Great racing'published at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 LiveGreat fighting from George Russell - didn't give up at all. It nearly worked, great racing.
Postpublished at 15:26 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Jack Nicholls
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentatorA set of hard tyres is waiting for Lewis Hamilton- and Russell is left out there to try and fight another day with Alonso. He can't even get on the power out of turn one, and unbelievable racing - great fighting by Russell with no tyres. I did not expect that!
Postpublished at 15:26 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 14 of 57
Double stack at Ferrari. The two red cars come into the pits.
George Russell is in after saying is tyres were finished a few laps earlier but it's a slow stop for the 25-year-old,
Postpublished at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 LiveFernando Alonso is lining up George Russell into Turn 3 on every lap. That's the aim, to get the DRS.
Postpublished at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 13 of 57
The fight is on between George Russell and Fernando Alonso!
Alonso takes the Mercedes but Russell comes back at the Aston Martin. The two are defending like gentlemen and eventually the Silver Arrow of Russell stays ahead of the experienced Alonso.
Postpublished at 15:24 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Lap 12 of 57
The stewards are going to take a look at an incident at the start of the race. Esteban Ocon apparently was in an inaccurate grid position.
Postpublished at 15:23 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2023
Jack Nicholls
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentatorAlonso is really putting the pressure on Russell now. He has a really good run and Russell says that his tyres are gone.