Bahrain Grand Prix: Ferrari dominates as Charles Leclerc wins dramatic season opener

By Ben Church, CNN

Updated 1802 GMT (0202 HKT) March 20, 2022

Race winner Charles Leclerc celebrates at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 20, 2022,

(CNN)Charles Leclerc won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday as Ferrari claimed a one-two after a dramatic ending to the first race of the new season.

Leclerc had started in pole position after an impressive qualifying and, after a battle with reigning world champion Max Verstappen, looked to be cruising to victory.That was until a safety car was deployed in the closing stages which saw the pack bunch up for the restart. As per the new regulations, all cars were able to unlap themselves before racing started again — a rule clarified after the dramatic ending in last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which saw Lewis Hamilton lose the title on thefinal lap. F1 2022 season preview: New designs, new drivers but one familiar rivalry In Bahrain, Leclerc held on to the lead after the restart with Verstappen hot on his tail but the Red Bull driver — who was already complaining about a steering issue with his car — dropped out of the race entirely after appearing to lose power. Read MoreThe Dutchman was furious and could be heard berating his team over the radio as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz overtook him into second.It went from bad to worse for Red Bull as moments later the team's other driver Sergio Perez — who was in third — also began struggling with his car, allowing Hamilton to claim an unlikely podium position on the final lap.It was a huge result for Mercedes with the team still struggling to perfect the car — its other driver George Russell finished fourth.But for Ferrari, who hadn't won a race since September 2019, the season could not have got off to a better start. «I'm so