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A32 sports
Dialuna 29 Maart 2021

Hamilton holds off Verstappen to win tense F1 season-opener

regulations. Before the race, for medium tires.
all drivers wore “We Race As Midway through, Verstappen
One” written on the front of was finally starting to gain on
black T-shirts to send a mes- every lap as Hamilton’s tires
sage for diversity and inclu- began to wear.
sion. Hamilton, Vettel and “I can’t go any quicker,”
several other drivers took a Hamilton told his team over
knee against racism as they the radio. So they brought
had done last year. him in for a second tire
Sergio Perez’s Red Bull debut change and Bottas soon after.
started badly as his car stalled But Mercedes botched Bot-
seconds before the start. He tas’ stop, taking too long to
lost his grid position and had remove his right front tire.
to start from the pit lane, but “Not ideal and I had a slow
did well to finish fifth behind pit stop which in the end
McLaren’s Lando Norris in took away any opportuni-
fourth. ties,” Bottas said.
Haas driver Nikita Mazepin Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Mar-
slid into the gravel without tin debut was eventful as he
completing a lap on his F1 clipped Esteban Ocon near
(AP) — World champion ton said. “I knew he was go- at the desert track. debut, bringing out the safety the end, then accused the
Lewis Hamilton just man- ing to catch me and I thought Verstappen got away clean- car for three laps. French driver of changing his
aged to hold off Max Ver- it was going to be impossible ly while Ferrari’s Charles A hectic restart saw Bottas racing line.
stappen to win the season- to keep him behind ... That Leclerc made a fine overtake reclaim third place as Leclerc Vettel was 15th, one place
opening Bahrain Grand was one of the hardest races on Bottas, but lost that posi- slipped back. ahead of Haas driver Mick
Prix and clinch the 96th I’ve had for a while. I love the tion after the safety car came Hamilton was 1.5 seconds Schumacher, who made his
Formula One win of his challenge.” out on Lap 1. behind Verstappen when F1 debut on the track where
career on Sunday. With 22 races still to come, Hamilton initially gained Mercedes took the bold strat- his famed father Michael
F1 fans could be in for a treat control of the race by mak- egy to switch him to hard Schumacher won the inau-
The race was effectively de- this season if Verstappen ing an earlier tire change tires on Lap 14. gural Bahrain GP in 2004.
cided when Verstappen over- takes the title challenge to than Verstappen, who finally Hamilton soon clocked the Hamilton is seeking a record
took Hamilton on Lap 53 of Hamilton. started trimming Hamilton’s fastest time on his new tires. eighth world title to move
56 but went too wide on a “I’m super happy for the advantage and took the lead Bottas came in for the same one ahead of Schumacher.
turn and off track limits. He fans that they are excited, when Hamilton came in for tire change three laps after Next up is the Emilia-Ro-
was told by his team to give this is something all the fans a second tire change. Hamilton, and Verstappen magna GP in Italy on April
Hamilton the position back, have wanted for some time,” Verstappen then made his came in on Lap 18 but again 18.
as he risked a time penalty. Hamilton said. “I hope for second change with 16 laps
“It’s a shame but you also many more of these races left and had an eight-second
have to see the positives,” with Max.” gap to make up, but Hamil-
Verstappen said. “We are re- Hamilton’s teammate, Valt- ton had older tires. Verstap-
ally taking the fight to them, teri Bottas, finished third but pen caught him on Lap 53
and I think that’s great to start was way behind the front and passed him at the second
the year like that.” two. attempt on Turn 4 — but the
Verstappen still had a few laps Two-time champion Fernan- joy was short-lived.
to catch Hamilton and he al- do Alonso failed to finish the “I knew I had run off the
most did, finishing .74 sec- race on his F1 comeback with track limits,” Verstappen said
onds behind the Mercedes Alpine. afterward.
driver. Verstappen took a superb Red Bull team principal
“What a difficult race that pole position on Saturday, Christian Horner explained
was. Max was all over me at the fourth of his career, and to him that race control had
the end and I was just about started immediately ahead of given the order to let Ham-
able to hold him off,” Hamil- Hamilton under floodlights ilton back in front as per

Spain beats Georgia with late goal in World Cup qualifying

(AP) — Substitute Dani revamped the starting line- Spain improved in the sec-
Olmo scored with a long- up from the game against ond half and Ferran Torres
range shot two minutes Greece on Thursday, making equalized from close range
into second-half stoppage six changes to the squad. He in the 55th after Jordi Alba’s
time as Spain came from introduced youngsters Bryan cross from the left, earning
behind to beat Georgia Gil, Pedri González and Pe- his fifth goal in six starts with
2-1 on Sunday in World dro Porro from the start but the Spanish national team.
Cup qualifying. the team continued to strug- Georgia players dropped to
gle. the ground in despair when
The win gets Spain back Loria couldn’t stop Olmo’s
on track in Group B after Sergio Ramos, coming off a late strike. That sealed the
an opening 1-1 home draw long injury layoff, also was team’s defeat in front of a
against Greece. dropped from the opener, limited crowd that was al-
Olmo netted the winner with when he played only in the lowed to watch amid the
a right-footed shot from out- first half. coronavirus pandemic.
side the area, with the ball The hosts opened the scoring Georgia midfielder Levan
finding the top corner after with a low shot from inside Shengelia was sent off after
Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi the area by Khvicha Kvar- Olmo’s goal for a hard foul
Loria couldn’t swat it away one more than Zlatan Ibrahi- Sweden on Thursday, stayed atskhelia in the 44th minute on Pedri.
hard enough. movic’s Sweden, which later last in the group with no after the Spain defense failed On Wednesday, Spain hosts
Spain moved to the top of Sunday visited Kosovo. points. to contain a nice buildup by Kosovo and Georgia visits
its group with four points, Georgia, which lost 1-0 at Spain coach Luis Enrique the Georgia attack. Greece.