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The cars needed a software update. Verstappen won anyway.

· Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

This year's Bahrain Grand Prix was held in Malaysia, which turned out to be the most normal thing about it. Then it rained, and a software bug stopped several cars before the start. The FIA did what everyone does with a broken laptop: sent an update and made everybody wait.

When it finally got going, Mercedes ran P1 and P2, and only one of them saw the end. Ferrari bet on dry tyres, and both ended up near the back. They didn't stay there.

Pixel art of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia: Verstappen celebrating the win, a software update installing in the rain, the 2 Mercedes leading, Hamilton's Ferrari climbing from P18 to P3, and Russell with his head in his hands beside his smoking car while Antonelli smiles next to the championship trophy.
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia The cars needed a software update. Verstappen won anyway.

116 alerts across 55 laps

Live alerts fired during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

The Race

Verstappen passed Russell on lap 6 and went after Antonelli.

Grid Copilot card replay, lap 8: Verstappen closing on Antonelli for the lead, drawn on the Sepang track.
Verstappen on Antonelli, lap 8 Right behind the leader, 2 laps after passing Russell.

A safety car on lap 9 let most of the field switch to dry tyres cheaply. Hamilton, already on them, stayed out and suddenly looked clever. When racing resumed, Verstappen went round the outside of Antonelli and took the lead.

Grid Copilot safety car alert on lap 9: Safety Car deployed, Antonelli, Verstappen, Russell, Hadjar, Lawson and Ocon benefit, Hulkenberg loses out after pitting just before.
Safety car, lap 9 18 cars in the pits on the same lap.

Hamilton climbed from P18 to P5 by lap 22, then got stuck behind Hadjar.

Grid Copilot alert on lap 30: Pace Dropping, Hadjar's pace is dropping on soft tyres.
Hadjar's tyres fading, lap 30 Losing time every lap, with Hamilton coming up behind.
Grid Copilot battle alert on lap 34: Battle for P4, gap closing, Hamilton closing on Hadjar.
Hamilton on Hadjar, lap 34 Closing in, but he only got past Hadjar a lap after the final restart.

With 5 laps to go, Russell's engine died and P3 went with it. Terrible luck for his title hopes, and up ahead Antonelli had every reason to smile at his mirrors. Hamilton took the podium spot.

Up front, Verstappen won, and for the first time this year the Dutch anthem played for him. So did his unofficial one from the crowd: "Tu-tu-du-du Max Verstappen!"

Elsewhere In The Grid

Norris dived into the gravel behind the last safety car and blamed the low sun. The stewards said the sun was something he "should have taken into account", the polite way of saying get your sh*t together, man. Alonso's dry tyre gamble ended better: P8, Aston Martin's best result of the year.

Grid Copilot alert on lap 45: Pit Stop Under Safety Car, Alonso pitted under the Safety Car.
Alonso pits, lap 45 A cheap stop behind the safety car, 10 laps before P8.

Antonelli now leads Russell by 84 points with 7 races left. See you in Singapore next week.

P1

VERSTAPPEN

P2

ANTONELLI

P3

HAMILTON