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The Bahrain Grand Prix is set to welcome all the cars to the track once again for the first race of the much-anticipated 2022 F1 season. Having first hosted a race in 2004, this year's season opener in Sakhir makes for the 19th edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Sakhir gave us an exciting start to the 2021 season last year, with Lewis Hamilton emerging victorious after a thrilling battle as the reigning world champion. Adding a fifth Bahrain win to his name, the Briton became the driver with the maximum wins at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Before last year, he shared this record with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, with four race wins each in the Bahrain Grand Prix. With Hamilton's 2021 victory, Mercedes matched Ferrari's record for maximum wins at the Grand Prix with a total of eight.
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With a total of six pole positions achieved by their drivers at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Mercedes holds the record for maximum poles in the qualifying sessions in Bahrain, one ahead of Ferrari. A total of eleven drivers have taken pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix, of which Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton are matched, with each having achieved a maximum of three pole positions at the Grand Prix.
Historically, the pole position has not been the best place to start this particular Grand Prix from. Stats show only seven out of eighteen races have been won from the absolute front of the grid on the tracks in Bahrain.
Ferrari driver "pessimistic" ahead of 2022 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix
Ferrari looked particularly strong during the two pre-season testing sessions in Barcelona and Bahrain. Their driver Charles Leclerc, however, revealed that the team is still behind Red Bull, although they are definitely closer to the top this year than last.
As reported by Crash, Leclerc commented on Ferrari's chances of starting the season with a race win, saying:
“I’m maybe a bit more pessimistic. I feel we are still a bit behind Red Bull. I don’t think we are speaking about a second like last year or even more the year before, so I feel it is going to be closer for sure and this is already a good sign. But I still think they are the favourites.”
The upcoming F1 race weekend will give everyone in the paddock a great idea of what to expect from the rest of the season and where each team stands in 2022.
