Riaan 
Umpetha womhlaba u-Max Verstappen uphumelele ukunqoba kwakhe okokuqala isizini futhi eqale kwisekethe yase-Sakhir ngeSonto ngesikhathi ehola u-Sergio Perez ekhaya emqhudelwaneni ovelele i-Red Bull eyodwa-2 ku-Bahrain Grand Prix.
Lo mpetha womhlaba ovikelayo uhole kusukela ekuqaleni kwaze kwaba sekugcineni, wavala izitobhi, ukuze azibonakalise eyintandokazi ethatha isicoco sesithathu elandelana sabashayeli kulo nyaka.
Bekuyiwini yakhe yokuqala eGulf state emzamweni weshumi.
Ngemuva kwama-Red Bulls amabili, umpetha osenezikhathi ezimbili u-Fernando Alonso uqhubekile nokwenza kancane iminyaka yakhe engama-41 ngokudlulela endaweni yesithathu evusa u-Aston Martin ekubonakaleni kwakhe kokuqala neqembu selokhu alandela umpetha osewathatha umhlalaphansi izikhathi ezine u-Sebastian Vettel.
Bekuwumjaho wakhe wama-356 owakhulisa irekhodi kuFormula One emsebenzini owaqala eminyakeni engama-22 edlule, kuze kube yimpelasonto, eMelbourne ku-Australian Grand Prix ka-2001.
Uzakwabo waseSpain uCarlos Sainz, amphasile sekuhlwile ukuze aqedele inkundla, ulale endaweni yesine kuFerrari yesibili ngaphambi kukaLewis Hamilton weMercedes noLance Stroll osenezikhathi eziyisikhombisa, egijima ku-Aston Martin yesibili ngemva kwamasonto ambalwa eqhekeze izihlakala zombili. ukuphuka uzwane engozini yebhayisikili yangaphambi kwesizini.
UGeorge Russell uthathe indawo yesikhombisa kuMercedes ngaphambi kukaValtteri Bottas we-Alfa Romeo, uPierre Gasly wase-Alpine, oqale okokugcina, no-Alex Albon othole iphuzu kuWilliams eqeda endaweni ye-10.
UCharles Leclerc, owawina umjaho ngo-2022, wehlulekile ukuqeda ngemuva kokuhluleka kwenjini kuFerrari yakhe emlenzeni wama-41.
‘Ebesikudinga’
“Ngiyabonga, bafo,” kusho uVerstappen oneminyaka engu-25. “Yisona kanye isiqalo ebesisidinga. Ngiqale kahle ngaqala ngasebenza ngase ngiba negebe ngavele ngabheka amathayi.”
U-Verstappen wenze isiqalo esihlanzekile, esisheshayo ukugqama njengoba u-Leclerc edlula uPerez okwesibili kwathi, ngemuva kwabo, uStroll washaya uzakwabo weqembu le-Aston Martin u-Alonso, ngaphansi kwebhuleki ku-Turn Four.
Bobabili uMercedes ube nesiqalo esihle futhi wadlula u-Alonso, u-Hamilton ekhuphukela endaweni yesihlanu ngaphambi kukaRussell ephishekela u-Sainz njengoba u-Verstappen evula ukuhola.
Ngesigaxa sesihlanu, wayesecacile ngemizuzwana emine njengoba uLeclerc egcina uPerez kude.
U-Gasly waqala umgodi wokuma ku-lap 10, eshintsha i-Alpine yakhe kusukela kokuthambile kuya kokuqinile, kulandelwa ngokushesha u-Lando Norris no-Yuki Tsunoda ngokuwohloka kwamasondo okuthatha ukusebenza kwasekuqaleni.
U-Hamilton uphume endaweni yesihlanu emlenzeni we-13, okwenze ukuthi u-Alonso alwele uRussell ukuze aphinde athole i-slot yakhe yegridi futhi akhuphukele kweyesithathu lapho bobabili abakwaFerraris begibela. URussell walandela.
U-Verstappen ufike ngemuva kwesikhathi, washintshela kwezinye izinto ezithambile futhi wanikeza uPerez, kwathi u-Oscar Piastri wase-Australia owayenenhlanhla yokuqala uMcLaren waphela ngaphambi kwesikhathi ngezinkinga zikagesi.
Umpetha ubuye wajoyina endaweni yesibili futhi waphinde wahola emlenzeni we-18 lapho uPerez egibela, ekhuphula uLeclerc endaweni yesibili kwaze kwaba yilapho owaseMexico emdlulisela ku-Turn One emlenzeni wama-26.
U-Hamilton uphinde wagila izimanga ku-Lap 31, kwabanzima kakhulu, walandelwa ngu-Sainz noRussell, njengoba abaholi bezilungiselela isicoco sabo sokugcina kanti, emuva, u-Esteban Ocon wase-Alpine owayecindezelwe, washaywa ngezijeziso ezintathu ngenxa yokwephulwa kwemithetho emincane, wama futhi.
‘Awekho amandla’
UPerez noVerstappen base bephothula izitobhi zabo zesibili, lo mDashi waphinde wajoyina ngokuhola kwemizuzwana engu-12.
IFerrari kaLeclerc ilahlekelwe amandla iqondile. Wayipaka iphephile, okuholele ekutheni kungene imoto yezokuphepha emfushane, kusele imizuliswano engu-15, enikeza iRed Bull ithuba lemoto ethokomele eyodwa-ezimbili, imizuzwana engama-23 ukusuka ku-Sainz osendaweni yesithathu kuFerrari yesibili.
“Cha, cha, cha,” kukhala uLeclerc. “Woza! Kwenzekeni bafo? Awekho amandla.”
Konke lokhu kushiye abadlali baseSpain ababili bethole isithathu, umpetha omdala wadlulela ku-Lap 45 ngemuva kokuthi laba bobabili babonakale bethintana emdonsiswano omkhulu ngaphambi komdlali wesihlanu obukele u-Hamilton.
