Finally! After months of waiting, we got to see the new generation of Formula 1 cars driven in anger, and what a sight it was. The new era of Formula 1 started with a bang as Charles Leclerc won for Scuderia Ferrari ahead of his teammate, Carlos Sainz, giving the team their first win in two years. He also secured the fastest lap, in addition to his pole position in qualifying on Saturday. The new regulations made an immediate impression. Previously, the cars would be very difficult to follow directly behind because of the aerodynamics, losing grip and preventing cars from racing each other effectively. The new regulations, designed to reduce the negative effect of following another car, proved to be right on the money as we saw battles throughout the field in close range. Charles Leclerc had to fight back Max Verstappen’s charge for several laps as the pair duelled before Red Bull suffered catastrophic failures on both their cars and came out with no points to their name.
Mercedes took advantage of Red Bull’s failures to secure a podium finish for Lewis Hamilton and fourth place for George Russell on a weekend where they were clearly off the pace. The other Mercedes-engine cars didn’t fare well, with both Mclarens, Aston Martins and Williams’ being lapped and finishing as the last six cars. Haas came out blazing, with a fifth-place finish for returnee Kevin Magnussen being ample reward for the last two years that the team has faced. Alfa Romeo, Alpha Tauri and Alpine also scored points to start their campaigns with decent races, with rookie Zhou Guanyu scoring a points finish on debut. Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver with a Red Bull team who finished the race, scoring an eighth-place finish. With a good race under the belt, it must be said that so far the new cars look up to the job. We won’t have to wait too long to see them in action again, as the circus reconvenes in a week’s time on March 27 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia. For more news and updates from the world of motorsports, stay tuned to evo India!