Ferrari's Charles Leclerc wins thrilling season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won Formula One’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after world champion Max Verstappen retired with just three laps remaining and Lewis Hamilton landed a surprise podium.

Verstappen hit technical trouble in the closing moments to promote Carlos Sainz to second as Ferrari completed a one-two finish.

Hamilton was elevated to third after Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez spun out with an engine failure on the penultimate lap to complete a dramatic and miserable evening for Red Bull. George Russell finished fourth.

Ninety-eight days after last season’s hotly-disputed finale in Abu Dhabi where Hamilton was denied an eighth world championship, Formula One fired up for a new campaign in Bahrain.

Hamilton had largely been forced to play a supporting role with Mercedes struggling to get on top of the sport’s biggest technical overhaul of a generation, but was thrilled with his podium.

“A big congratulations to Ferrari. I am so happy to see them doing well again. It is great to see Charles and Carlos up there,” he said.

“It was such a difficult race and this was the best result we could have got. We did the best we could and we are grateful for the points.”

Asked if he expects Mercedes to improve, Hamilton replied: “I am hoping and I know the guys are working hard.

“It will not be a quick turnaround but we are keeping our head down, we will keep working and there is a long way to go.”

Taking his place at the front of the field was Leclerc, the 24-year-old Monegasque who Ferrari hope can end a drivers’ championship drought which stretches back to 2007.

And he was delighted by his victory, saying: “Yes, so happy. The last two years have been incredibly difficult for the team. We knew it would be a big