Sergio Pérez wins Sakhir Grand Prix: Formula One – as it happened!

2.04pm EST 14:04

Thanks for joining me for such a silly race. What a day for Sergio Perez and for my quick-typing fingers. Giles Richards’ report is to come very soon.

1.58pm EST 13:58

The lads make it onto the podium. The contrast of pink and black suited teams celebrating is nice to see.

Sergio Perez celebrates his first win at the 190th time of asking. Few could have expected to heat the Mexican national anthem at this stage.

Perez celebrates on the podium Photograph: Tolga Bozoğlu/Reuters

Updated at 2.05pm EST

1.55pm EST 13:55

Hugh Molloy emails: “That went from potentially being my favourite race of all time, with Russell hitting Perez’s DRS window with a couple to go, to probably the most disappointing.”

1.55pm EST 13:55

Ocon on his first podium: “I have no words, I cried on the line. It’s been a tough season, it hasn’t paid off all the time but we never stopped pushing.”

1.54pm EST 13:54

Stroll: “A part of me is a little bit disappointed – I could have won the race.”

1.53pm EST 13:53

Perez on his future: “What happens is not so much in my hands. If I don’t have a seat next year, I will be back in 2022.”

1.52pm EST 13:52

Jack emails to praise my work. I feel as emotional as Sergio. Jack says: “Thanks for all your time today. 58 sec lap times are really quick for someone to respond to online.”

1.51pm EST 13:51

Perez: “I am speechless. I hope I am not dreaming, as I have dreamt so many year of being in this moment. It’s incredible. I don’t know what to say.

“It was all about not giving up, recovering and keep going. We won it today on merit.”

1.50pm EST 13:50

Lapping at 57 seconds or so a time makes this ruddy difficult, I must admit. Manic stuff trying to work out what has happened.

1.48pm EST 13:48

Utterly disastrous stuff for Mercedes. I cannot wait to find out their explanation for the double parking in the pit lane.

1.47pm EST 13:47

Plenty of joy in the Racing Point garage. What a cracking day for them. The crew and Perez are bouncing up and down.

1.47pm EST 13:47

Your top 10:

1 Perez2 Ocon3 Stroll4 Sainz5 Ricciardo6 Albon7 Kvyat8 Bottas9 Russell10 Norris

1.46pm EST 13:46

Perez is very emotional and lets out a few tears. What a day for him.

1.44pm EST 13:44

Perez was in last place on the first lap but he has recovered to win the race. Incredible.

Race winner Sergio Perez of Mexico and Racing Point celebrates in parc ferme Photograph: Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1/Getty Images

Updated at 2.01pm EST

1.44pm EST 13:44

What a day for Racing Point as Perez wins his first Grand Prix!

1.43pm EST 13:43

Lap 86/87: Perez has a 10 second lead and it really is a formality. Russell moves into the top 10 after going past Gasly. At least he will end the race with something.

1.42pm EST 13:42

Lap 85/87: Perez is in control and only a mistake will cost him now.

1.41pm EST 13:41

Lap 84/87: Racing Point looking to get two on the podium, which would be a fine result for them.

1.40pm EST 13:40

Lap 83/87: Russell is just outside the points in 12th. He is looking to work his way up the field.

1.39pm EST 13:39

Lap 82/87: Have Mercedes ever had a worse race where both drivers have finished? I cannot remember one. Bottas says his tyres are “terrible”, to make matters worse.

1.38pm EST 13:38

Lap 81/87: Perez is told to keep pushing and keep his tyre temperature up in order to secure his first F1 victory. Russell to be investigated over potentially fitting incorrect tyres.

Perez drives out in front Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 1.45pm EST

1.37pm EST 13:37

Lap 79/87: Mercedes will not remember this day fondly. What a disaster it has been since Aitken’s accident and the double pitting.

1.36pm EST 13:36

Lap 78/87: Russell is pitting again as he has a puncture. His race is run. What a shame. His podium place is out of the window. He comes out in 15th.

Russell makes a pitstop after having a pucture Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Updated at 1.39pm EST

1.35pm EST 13:35

Lap 77/87: Bottas knackered tyres see him overtaken by Sainz, Ricciardo and Albon. Not a great day for the man who started on pole. Call it off mate. A puncture for Bottas, it would seem.

1.34pm EST 13:34

Lap 76/87: Russell is the fastest man on the track but it is still going to be tough.

Michael Keane says: “We all knew that Hamilton had the best car on the grid, but are we learning that he had the better car in the team!? Russell playing an absolute blinder here!”

1.33pm EST 13:33

Lap 75/87: Current placings

1. Perez2. Ocon3. Russell4. Stroll5. Bottas6. Sainz

1.32pm EST 13:32

Lap 74/87: Are there enough laps here for Russell to get back into first? It is going to be hard work, that is for sure. Sainz is moaning about Bottas being very slow. Mate, he has rubbish tyres as his pit stop was rubbish.

1.31pm EST 13:31

Lap 73/87: There is a bit of time for Russel to make up: 3.3 seconds to be precise.

1.30pm EST 13:30

Lap 72/87: Russell does for Stroll on the first turn by undertaking him. The Brit is now in third.

Stroll tries but fails to defend his position to Russell Photograph: Tolga Bozoğlu/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 1.35pm EST

1.29pm EST 13:29

Lap 71/87: Russell can still win this and has just shown his overtaking qualities. If he can repeat that move a couple more times, he could get beyond Perez still.

1.28pm EST 13:28

Lap 70/87: Russell with some superb driving overtakes Bottas and he can leave his teammate behind him.

1.27pm EST 13:27

Lap 69/87: Can Mercedes chase down Racing Point? Russell has the tyres to do so, Bottas probably does not. Will they let the younger driver take the lead?

1.26pm EST 13:26

Lap 68/87: Perez is looking to show people what he can do here as he is still looking for a seat next season. We are back racing again!

Perez drives out in front Photograph: Tolga Bozoğlu/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 1.34pm EST

1.25pm EST 13:25

Lap 67/87: Russell is told “there should be a big tyre advantage”, to which the driver says “I f-ing hope so” or words to that effect.

1.22pm EST 13:22

Lap 66/87: The Mercedes double pit stop has cost Russell plenty of time there, too, leaving him in fifth. Perez is in the lead, Ocon second and Stroll third. The Mercedes post-mortem will be fun.

1.21pm EST 13:21

Lap 65/87: The Bottas pit stop took over 27 seconds and they sent him out with the same tyres on. Oooooooof that has gone atrociously.

1.18pm EST 13:18

Lap 64/87: The actual safety car involving a human driver has needed to go out. Mercedes are taking the chance to pit stop. Bottas’ pit stop was an utter farce with his brakes on fire. That took an age and he leaves the garage in fifth spot. That was useless.

Bottas makes a pitstop to forget Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Updated at 1.32pm EST

1.16pm EST 13:16

Lap 63/87: Aitken has lost his front wing and left it on the track, meaning the VSC is back involved. Hopefully someone can retrieve it soon.

1.15pm EST 13:15

Lap 62/87: Russell might be feeling some pressure at the front. He has led from the beginning and it is a difficult role to be in.

1.14pm EST 13:14

Lap 61/87: Norris is currently in 11th and has been told to go flat out for the next 27 laps. Can he make a move up the field?

1.13pm EST 13:13

Lap 60/87: Russell has a five and a half second lead over his current teammate Bottas.

1.12pm EST 13:12

Lap 59/87: Perez is up to third! He is driving superbly and aggressively, which is a good combination.

Perez of BWT Racing Point in action Photograph: Tolga Bozoğlu/EPA

Updated at 1.17pm EST

1.11pm EST 13:11

Lap 58/87: Thomas Wright emails to say: “I bet every driver and mechanic in Bahrain are urging George Russell on.”

You would hope so.

1.11pm EST 13:11

Lap 57/87: Perez goes past Stroll as the American locks up. Perez is in fourth now.

1.10pm EST 13:10

Lap 56/87: Hopefully Latifi’s car will be moved quickly. The other drivers are using the time to pit. We are back racing.

1.09pm EST 13:09

Lap 55/87: A yellow flag at turn eight as Latifi pulls off. His race is done. We might need the virtual safety car here.

1.08pm EST 13:08

Lap 54/87: Russell is losing a tenth of a second on Bottas. What could the issue be? One for the boffins to work out or is it just his lack of experience in the Mercedes?

1.07pm EST 13:07

Lap 53/87: Current placings

1. Russell2. Bottas3. Sainz4. Kvyat5. Ricciardo6. Ocon

1.06pm EST 13:06

Lap 52/87: Bottas was left out on the track for quite a while. Will he be left to rue it?

1.05pm EST 13:05

Lap 51/87: Alex Henderson has an idea: “A simple solution to resolve every season what’s the best car, who’s the best driver, and make the sport more exciting:

20 drivers10 teams with two cars each20 races

“Everyone drives each car once, then switches to another for the next race. That way, at the end of the season, we know who’s been the best driver, with everyone given an equal chance.”

1.04pm EST 13:04

Lap 50/87: Bottas gets the same tyres as Russell in his pit. Russell now has a very big lead on his new teammate.