Should Verstappen have beaten Hamilton in Bahrain?

  Follow Us:        By: Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief [Motorsport.com]( What a brilliant way to open the Formula 1 2021 season, with a pulsating Bahrain Grand Prix that was in doubt until the final yards of the race. Hats off to Lewis Hamilton. What a great reminder of his ability behind the wheel to win a race while not driving the best car. His first flying laps on the hard tyre, which gained track position on Max Verstappen via the undercut, set the tone and rocked Red Bull on to a strategic back foot. Should Max have won that race? Yes, I think he should. The Red Bull was definitely the faster car in Bahrain but he was outfoxed by a bold Mercedes strategy and Hamilton’s brilliance at holding on for 28 laps on his tyres at the end. Only Lance Stroll also attempted that, and he lost a place to Yuki Tsunoda on the very last lap! The only downside for me in that race was an apparent inconsistency in applying the track limits at Turn 4. Hamilton definitely gained some lasting advantage by running way wide on his charging second stint, and yet the race director only seemed to impose any warnings after Max Verstappen was told he should do the same. It felt like moving the goalposts… Editor's Choice [Verstappen explains why he could not re-attack Hamilton]( Max Verstappen has explained why he could not attempt another pass on Lewis Hamilton after giving back the lead following a track limits violation late in Formula 1's Bahrain race.  [Read More](  [Mercedes has "no strengths" over Red Bull in F1 2021](  [Read More]( [Verstappen: Red Bull didn't have flexibility it needed on tyres](  [Read More]( [Sandwich wrapper caused Alonso's retirement](  [Read More]( [How Perez saved his Red Bull F1 debut in Bahrain](  [Read Now](   MOTORSPORT JOBS [Job of the Week: Tour De Force - Senior Car Build Mechanic](  [Learn More](        Follow Us:    Received this email from a friend? Sign up to receive the INSIDER Newsletter from Motorsport.com which includes the latest news and inside views, direct from the experts. [Subscribe](                                 Copyright © 2021 Motorsport.com, All rights reserved. This email was sent to {EMAIL} by Motorsport.com. Our Mailing Address is:Motorsport.com5972 N.E. 4th Ave. Miami, FL 33137, United States Want to change how you recieve these emails? [Manage Preferences]( [Unsubscribe](   Part of [Motorsport Network](