2021 Bahrain Grand Prix
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.
| 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 1 of 22 in the 2021 Formula One World Championship
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| Race details | ||||
| 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 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | ||
| Time | 1:32.090 on lap 56 | |||
| Podium | ||||
| First |
| Mercedes | ||
| Second |
| Red Bull Racing-Honda | ||
| Third | Mercedes | |||
|
Lap leaders | ||||
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.