Leclerc wins F1 Bahrain GP as Red Bulls retire, Zhou 10th on debut

2022 sees the introduction of a new set of technical regulations aimed at making it easier for drivers to follow closely behind each other.

As a result, the cars look and behave vastly differently from those of recent years, and there were a few surprising names among the scorers at Sakhir.

Behind the top three, Hamilton's teammate George Russell finished fourth on his first outing for Mercedes.

In fifth place was F1 returnee Kevin Magnussen, scoring Haas' first points finish since 2020 and the American team's best result in four years.

Another landmark drive came from Valtteri Bottas in sixth place on his first drive for Alfa Romeo, representing the Italian-Swiss team's best finish since Brazil 2019.