F1 fans were treated to a show during the first lap of racing action at the Sepang International Circuit on Sunday, thanks to pre-race rain, a rapidly drying track surface and a host of different tyre selections.
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was initially delayed due to thunderstorms in the area, and the first race start procedure then got suspended when several drivers struggled to maintain speed on the formation lap.
After a lengthy wait, the race eventually began in slippery, mixed conditions, which led to split tyre strategies and plenty of early movement up and down the order.
While a portion of drivers opted for intermediate tyres, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, Gabriel Bortoleto, Nico Hulkenberg, Ollie Bearman, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez and Franco Colapinto all chose soft slicks, and Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll bolted on mediums.
Struggling for grip, Perez pitted at the end of the first lap behind the Safety Car to take on intermediates, with Piastri, Bortoleto, Stroll and Hulkenberg following suit a lap later – meaning they lined up in the pit lane as their rivals tackled a standing start.
So, who gained the most and lost the most as the first racing lap unfolded? Relive the action in the video clip above, and check out the exact numbers in the table below…
Most places gained and lost at Sepang start
| Driver | Starting position | After one lap | Gained/lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindblad (inter) | 22nd | 9th | +13 places |
| Ocon (inter) | 17th | 7th | +10 places |
| Albon (inter) | 18th | 8th | +10 places |
| Lawson (inter) | 11th | 4th | +7 places |
| Sainz (inter) | 13th | 6th | +7 places |
| Perez (inter) | 20th | 14th | +6 places |
| Russell (inter) | 7th | 2nd | +5 places |
| Hadjar (inter) | 8th | 5th | +3 places |
| Hulkenberg (inter) | 15th | 12th | +3 places |
| Antonelli (inter) | 3rd | 1st | +2 places |
| Stroll (inter) | 14th | 13th | +1 place |
| Colapinto (soft) | 21st | 20th | +1 place |
| Bortoleto (inter) | 10th | 11th | -1 place |
| Verstappen (inter) | 1st | 3rd | -2 places |
| Bottas (soft) | 19th | 21st | -2 places |
| Bearman (soft) | 16th | 19th | -3 places |
| Piastri (inter) | 6th | 10th | -4 places |
| Alonso (medium) | 12th | 16th | -4 places |
| Gasly (soft) | 9th | 18th | -9 places |
| Norris (medium) | 5th | 15th | -10 places |
| Hamilton (soft) | 2nd | 17th | -15 places |
| Leclerc (inter) | 4th | 22nd | -18 places |
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