Sakhir (Bahrain) (AFP)

The Briton Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) won from pole position on Sunday an F1 Bahrain Grand Prix marked by the terrible accident of Frenchman Romain Grosjean (Haas), miraculously out of the fire in his car.

The Red Bull of the Dutchman Max Verstappen, author of the fastest lap, and the Thai Alexander Albon, for the second time in F1, accompany him on the podium.

Accident in the first lap, Grosjean was taken to hospital and suffers from "minor burns" and "possible rib fractures", according to his team.

At turn 3, his car left the track after contacting that of Russian Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri) and hit the safety barriers at full speed.

The chassis was cut in half, gasoline presumably spilled out and a massive fire instantly broke out.

After minutes that seemed like hours, television cameras showed the 34-year-old driver to extract himself from the "survival cell" (the reinforced cockpit) of his F1 and shake away from the blaze, aided by the driver of the GP medical car.

Immediately interrupted by a red flag, the race resumed only an hour and a half later.

Another striking image, during this second start, Kvyat found himself involved in a new accident: the Russian hooked up the Racing Point of the Canadian Lance Stroll and sent it to rest, wheels in the air, on its halo (l hoop which overhangs the front of the cockpit of F1 to protect the heads of the pilots).

The Canadian escaped unscathed with the help of the medical car staff.

The AlphaTauri pilot was penalized 10 seconds.

Briton Lando Norris (McLaren), Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr (McLaren), moved up from 15th place on the grid, Frenchman Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), Australian Daniel Ricciardo (Renault), Finnish Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes ), victim of two punctures, the French Esteban Ocon (Renault) and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) complete the Top 10.

The Mexican Sergio Pérez (Racing Point) was forced to retire with four laps from the end, betrayed by his engine gone up in smoke, while third place was again promised to him, a week after his podium in Turkey.

© 2020 AFP