Charles Leclerc won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday as Ferrari claimed a one-two after a dramatic end to the first race of the new season.
Leclerc started in pole position after an impressive qualifying and looked on to victory after a fight with defending world champion Max Verstappen.
It was not until a safety car was deployed in the closing stages that the pack looked to reenter.
According to the new rules, all cars were able to unlap themselves before racing resumed - a rule clarified after a dramatic ending at last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in which Lewis Hamilton took the title on the final lap. have lost.
In Bahrain, Leclerc held the lead after the restart with a Verstappen hot on his tail, but the Red Bull driver - who was already complaining about a steering problem with his car - lost power after Dropped out of the race completely.
The Dutchman was furious and could be heard on the radio rebuking his team as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz overtook him in second.
It went from bad to worse for Red Bull as moments later another team driver, Sergio Pérez - who was third - also began to struggle with his car, giving Hamilton an unexpected podium on the final lap. Permission to claim status was granted.
This was a huge result for Mercedes as the team was still struggling to get the car right – its other driver, George Russell, finished fourth.
But for Ferrari, which had not won a race since September 2019, the season could not have started better.
"I am very happy. We knew this was a huge opportunity for the team and the people who have done an incredible job creating this amazing car," said Leclerc.
"A couple of today with Carlos - we couldn't have expected better. To be back on top is unbelievable."
F1 hasn't made such drastic changes to the design of cars since 1983.
It was hoped that the new rules would make overtaking easier and it certainly seemed in the case of Leclerc and Verstappen trading five times in just two laps in the early stages.
But it was the safety car that again caused the most drama - only this time Hamilton turned a profit over Red Bull.
It comes as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) revealed that the controversial season finale at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the result of "human error" by then-racing director Michael Massi.
On Saturday, the report of the investigation was submitted to the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, which concluded that the results of the title decider were "valid, final and no longer reversible."
Hamilton had all but clinched his record-breaking eighth world title over eventual winner Verstappen, when Williams Racing driver Nicolas Latifi crashed into the barriers with four laps remaining, resulting in the safety car being kicked out.
The controversy reached its climax when a message from the race director initially stated that cars lapped between Hamilton and Verstappen would not be allowed to unlap themselves - only for Massie to appear to change his mind later - Fresh tires leaving the Red Bull driver just behind Hamilton with just one lap to go.
Massi's decision meant the race would resume on the final lap, with Verstappen allowing Hamilton to start almost simultaneously, despite the Brit having established a healthy lead.
The FIA investigation states that Masi was acting in good faith; However, he was removed from the position of F1 race director in February.