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“You f**king finished third?!”: Charles Leclerc was surprised to see Lewis Hamilton finish in a podium place at Bahrain GP

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

"They’re such a historic epic team" - Lewis Hamilton praises Ferrari on their redemption win in Bahrain

Lewis Hamilton earned a last grasp third place finish at the Bahrain GP and race winner Charles Leclerc was surprised to see him there.  

The 2022 season opener got off to a relatively quiet start for Mercedes. This was before Red Bull’s misfortune played to their and Hamilton’s advantage.

Max Verstappen’s car had to be retired due to a fuel pump issue, followed by Sergio Perez’s car (for the same reason). This allowed Hamilton to pounce and take home an unexpected third place finish.

Meanwhile, Ferrari’s start to the campaign could not have been better. The Italian outfit earned a 1-2 finish with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz taking first and second respectively. This was their first race victory since Singapore in 2019.

Also read: Toto Wolff reveals what Mercedes will do to improve car performance at the Saudi Arabian GP

After the race, when the drivers got out of their car, Leclerc seemed fairly surprised to see Hamilton there. The Monegasque spent most of the race defending his lead against Verstappen, and a last grasp podium finish for the 37-year old wasn’t in anyone’s books.

Hamilton got out of his W13, and congratulated a jubilant Leclerc on the win. At first, Leclerc didn’t say anything, but when Hamilton was walking back after exchanging a handshake with Sainz, the Ferrari driver said, “You f**king finished third!”

Hamilton congratulates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on their win

Ferrari’s return to glory was a long time coming. It’s still early days in the 2022 F1 season, but everything points towards the Maranello outfit going in the right direction.

Being the most successful team in F1 history, many wanted them to see them return to winning ways. It turns out, Hamilton is one of them. Speaking to the media after the race, the Mercedes driver said he’s happy about Ferrari’s return to prominence.

“So happy to see them doing well again,” he said. “They’re such a historic epic team so it’s great to see Charles and Carlos up there.”

“This is really the best result we could have got. Of course, it was unfortunate for the other two drivers but we did the best we could and we’re grateful for these points. ”

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will be looking to make further progress at the Saudi Arabian GP next weekend.

Also read: From pole position to winning the race alongside the fastest lap and driver of the day, Charles Leclerc wins the Bahrain Grand Prix

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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