Tag: bahrain gp

F1 2023: Bahrain Gp Review – Verstappen picks up where he left off

The more things change, the more they stay the same. At least this is how most of the F1 field would feel after a complete domination of the opening race for the 2023 season.

Red Bull ended pre-season testing without any great fanfare. But the defending champions were probably well aware of their own pace and what they might deliver in Bahrain. Despite appearances that Red Bull does not have the quickest qualifying car, to which there is certainly some proof, Max Verstappen and Checo Perez still locked out the front row of the grid.

It was an equally straightforward start for Verstappen who led easily at lights out. It wasn’t quite the same for Perez who fell behind Charles Leclerc at the start. The Ferrari driver had opted out of a second Q3 run in Saturday qualifying to save a set of new soft tyres for the race start. It paid off too as Leclerc took second place. The strategy advantage didn’t come too much as it was evident straight away that Leclerc couldn’t live with Verstappen’s pace. By lap 13 the Dutchman had pulled a 10 second gap and never looked back.

Behind the leading trio of Verstappen, Leclerc, and Perez was Carlos Sainz. However, the Spaniard didn’t seem to turn up this weekend and was well off the pace of the top three. Fernando Alonso had started fifth but was tagged by teammate Lance Stroll in the opening lap. Surprisingly, Alonso carried on without damage but with a bit of work to do if he was going to put the Aston Martin into a position worth shouting about.

If you know Fernando Alonso, you’d know a few things about him. He’s had a knack of moving to teams at the absolute wrong time for most of his career. And to be fair, he has also been a highly destructive character within those teams. The time at McLaren and his treatment of the Honda mechanics is the perfect example of this. But. When he is on it there are few better to watch. This weekend he drove as brilliantly as he has ever done.; and that’s saying something given that this weekend marked his F1 debut a staggering 22 years ago. Aston Martin too have produced a car that Alonso has deemed “lovely”. It is genuinely competitive at this stage of the season, and it has made Alonso a very happy boy.

An audacious move up the inside of turn 10, where only Juan-Pablo Montoya had once dared to overtake, saw him snatch fourth place from Lewis Hamilton. As it were, an engine issue brought an end to Leclerc’s race and Alonso was now hunting down Sainz for the final step on the podium. The pair raced within centimeters of each other before Alonso scythed passed the Ferrari and into third. It’s no surprise at all that the two-time champion was voted driver of the day by fans as he not only drove a stonking race but that at the age 41 years old.

While Sainz trundled home in fourth it won’t have been considered a good result for Ferrari. The team promised much more in pre-season. Granted, there is still the matter of 22 races to go this season, so there is some time yet. Hamilton was fifth for Mercedes but the once near-invincible team is clearly struggling, again, in 2023. So much so that Toto Wolff has seemingly already written off the season.

In sixth place was Alonso’s Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll. The Canadian driver deserves some big props for coming back from two fractured wrists and a broken toe just twelve days ago. It’s a mighty effort to finish as high as he did, and that without any testing in the car either. George Russell was seventh in the other Mercedes while Valtteri Bottas continues to shine as an Alfa driver in eighth. Pierre Gasly salvaged ninth for Alpine while Alex Albon took the final point in tenth, for Williams.

Both McLaren cars of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris failed to reach the chequered flag and Esteban Ocon, who racked up several time penalties, also racked up a DNF. Logan Sargeant, the American rookie, finished a solid twelfth for Williams.

It’s on to Jeddah in two weeks with everyone already scratching their head about how they’re possibly going to beat Red Bull. It won’t be an easy prospect especially if you consider that the first non-Red Bull car finished roughly 35 seconds behind Verstappen and the first Mercedes was nearly a minute behind. There’s a long way to go yet in 2023 and so many incredible stories to tell. The question remains: Who is ready and able to take the fight to Max Verstappen and Red Bull?

March 5, 2023
F1 Bahrain GP Friday Practice Wrap Up

Formula One Bahrain GP Practice 1

Pierre Gasly headed up the time sheets in his Alpha Tuari, on soft tyres, for the first practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, beating the Ferraris who finished in first and second place. Gasly posted a 1:34.193s benchmark for the session – still a way off from the pre-season test benchmark of a 1:31.720s posted by Max Verstappen.

George Russell led the Mercedes team in fourth place, 0.4s off the pace. He was, however, still a quarter of a second quicker than team mate Lewis Hamilton who finished up in P7.

Our current F1 world champion, Max Verstappen, went through four sets of tyres, but held back the soft compound for FP2. He posted the 5th quickest time.

Running times for FP1 ahead of the Bahrain GP:

1 Pierre Gasly 1:34.193
2 Charles Leclerc 1:34.557
3 Carlos Sainz 1:34.611
4 George Russell 1:34.629
5 Max Verstappen 1:34.742
6 Lance Stroll 1:34.814
7 Lewis Hamilton 1:34.943
8 Fernando Alonso 1:35.000
9 Yuki Tsunoda 1:35.028
10 Sergio Perez 1:35.050
11 Zhou Guanyu 1:35.053
12 Esteban Ocon 1:35.151
13 Nicholas Latifi 1:35.644
14 Nico Hulkenberg 1:35.815
15 Alexander Albon 1:35.923
16 Lando Norris 1:36.304
17 Daniel Ricciardo 1:36.402
18 Mick Schumacher 1:36.536
19 Kevin Magnussen 1:36.804
20 Valtteri Bottas No time set

Formula One Bahrain GP Practice 2

It’s Max Verstappen who set the fastest time in the second practice session of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. He wrapped up the session ahead of the Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. While it may be a little too early to hedge your bets, the Ferrari team is performing really well this early on.

George Russel came home in the 4th spot for Mercedes with Fernando Alonso finishing just behind him – both within a second of the Verstappen’s pace.

Valterri Bottas was unable to set a time in the first practice session due to a power unit issue but managed P6 for the session.

With Sergio Perez ahead of him, Lewis Hamilton struggled to finish only ninth as a result of a lot of porpoising and bouncing around the track throughout the session while also complaining about front brake issues.

Here are the running times for the session:

1 Max Verstappen 1:31.936
2 Charles Leclerc 1:32.023
3 Carlos Sainz 1:32.520
4 George Russell 1:32.529
5 Fernando Alonso 1:32.877
6 Valtteri Bottas 1:32.951
7 Sergio Perez 1:32.958
8 Mick Schumacher 1:33.085
9 Lewis Hamilton 1:33.144
10 Kevin Magnussen 1:33.183
11 Lando Norris 1:33.280
12 Esteban Ocon 1:33.360
13 Pierre Gasly 1:33.621
14 Yuki Tsunoda 1:33.789
15 Guanyu Zhou 1:33.953
16 Lance Stroll 1:33.958
17 Nico Hulkenberg 1:34.061
18 Daniel Ricciardo 1:34.166
19 Nicholas Latifi 1:34.486
20 Alexander Albon 1:34.735

March 18, 2022
F1 2022: Red Bull? Ferrari? Mercedes?

The wait for the start of F1 2022 is over. This weekend the season-opening race in Bahrain brings with it the start to a whole new era in the storied saga of Formula 1.

The new regulations have produced not only a completely different visual aspect to F1 but has showcased some of the brilliant engineering and design prowess up and down the paddock. From McLaren’s wavy floor to Ferrari’s scooped side pods to Mercedes seemingly complete lack of side pods the innovation has been cranked to the max.

The three days of public testing around the Sakhir International circuit has revealed at least some of what the picture could look like at the start of the season. The mid-field battle promises to be exceptionally tight with the likes of McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, and Alpha Tauri expected to occupy this space.

Williams looks in fairly good shape, relatively speaking, with Haas and Alfa Romeo expected to bring up the rear. For Haas it certainly hasn’t been a straightforward pre-season. First, their equipment and freight were delayed from arriving to Bahrain in time due to a broken-down plane. Then their title sponsor and one driver were removed from the team, which left them with the task of quickly finding a replacement. Although Pietro Fittipaldi, as reserve driver, seemed to be the most obvious choice Haas opted for experience instead and drafted Kevin Magnussen back into the team. The Danish driver brings with him a decent pedigree of being able to get the most out of a car and will be a good barometer for teammate Mick Schumacher.

What then of the top three. There are some who agree that Mercedes starts the season not as outright favourites. In fact, some have penned them down as in third place behind Red Bull and Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton himself has declared Mercedes as not in a position to win races. But we’ve read this chapter before, haven’t we? Mercedes downplays their chances and sandbag on track only to show up at race one and blitz the field. But there may be some truth to Sir Hamilton’s words. Firstly, the porpoising which Red Bull and Ferrari are appearing to manage is still a major problem at Merc. So much of an issue is the porpoising that Merc have taken to sawing off some underfloor strakes in a bid to change the air flow distribution not only on the forward section of the car but also into the underfloor and the rear diffuser. The front-wing angle has also been significantly altered to combat the understeer that has been plaguing the W13 throughout testing.

But Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz are not buying the line that Mercedes are struggling. Both point out that the Silver Arrows have made a habit of underplaying their position before the season starts. And despite an apparent consensus amongst the pundits in the paddock that Hamilton and co might not be the quickest the fact remains that only time will tell, literally.

Ferrari starts the season in the best shape they’ve been in for a few years. Without any reliability issues the car has run smoothly, and importantly, it’s been quick in both Charles Leclerc and Sainz’s hands. Yet team principal Mattia Binotto is remaining cautious by insisting that the Italian team remain “outsiders” behind Red Bull and McLaren.

On the final day of testing Red Bull bolted a serious upgrade package to its car and it went quite a bit faster, 7 tenths faster than anything Ferrari could manage. But headline times in testing are just that. It’s only in Q3 on Saturday where everyone’s hand will finally be shown. And as it stands right now it looks as if Red Bull and Max Verstappen are holding all the cards.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 14, 2022
F1 2021: Bahrain Gp Review – Hamilton vs Verstappen

In recent history there could hardly have been a more exhilarating start to a Formula 1 season that what was produced in Bahrain in 2021.

Saturday qualifying already put not only the paddock but fans around the world on notice that the season opening race was bound to be something special. Max Verstappen delivered a stunning lap to take pole position from Lewis Hamilton by nearly four tenths ons second. Not only did it set the stage for an epic race battle but it also confirmed that for the first time in years Red Bull were hitting the ground running.

But the more than one hundred days of waiting didn’t seem to be enough for the racing gods as the first start of the race was aborted. Unfortunately for new Red Bull driver Sergio Perez it was because his car had decided to switch itself off on the formation lap. The Mexican driver was able to restart his engine but was consigned to a pit lane start.

After another formation lap the race got underway with Verstappen leading cleanly from Hamilton. It was Valtteri Bottas who was under most pressure as he fought off the fast starting Charles Leclerc. But the Ferrari was too canny for the Finn and snatched third place on the road. Elsewhere Lando Norris pulled off a stunning move in the first sector over new McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo. But the racing wouldn’t even last a full lap before the safety car was deployed to enable the recovery of the Haas driver’s car who is not Mick Schumacher. Curiously, he had spun off by himself and crash into the turn 3 barrier.

The racing resumed on lap four with Verstappen able to pull a couple of seconds clear of Hamilton. Behind Leclerc and Bottas, at this stage third and fourth on the road, Pierre Gasly was running ahead of Norris and the returning Fernando Alonso. Norris, clearly in a racy mood, quickly passed Gasly. The Alpha Tauri driver was immediately under pressure too from Ricciardo and subsequently lost his front wing and ruined any chance of scoring a decent haul of points.

While Hamilton pitted on lap 13 for hard tyres Red Bull chose to extend their first stint for a few more laps. But the undercut, read fresh tyres, proved decisive as Hamilton leapfrogged Verstappen into the lead of the race as the first round of pit stops shook out. The Dutchman was able to close the nearly seven second gap to Hamilton but didnt overtake the Mercedes driver before Hamilton opted, just 16 laps later, to visit the pitlane for a second time. It appeared that the Mercedes was working its tyre far more than the Red Bull with the advantage seemingly swinging towards Verstappen. By this stage Valtteri Bottas, already off the front running pace, had suffered a slow pitstop which put him well and truly out of contention.

Fernando Alonso’s return to F1 ended before the chequered flag as the Alpine driver was forced into retirement by a suspected brake issue. Nevertheless, the show carried on with a not-so-uncommon mistake from Seb Vettel which saw the Aston Martin curiously bump into the back of Esteban Ocon’s Alpine on lap 44. Vettel not only picked up some slight front wing damage and a red face but also a ten-second time penalty for causing a collision.

By now Verstappen once again found himself in second place but with fresher tyres than Hamilton. It seemed for all money that the Red Bull would catch and pass the Mercedes and take victory. Verstappen closed the gap and by lap 53 had his best shot of taking back the lead. But the Dutchman, while overtaking Hamilton around the outside of turn 4, had run off the track. Ever the sportsman Verstappen returned the place to Hamilton but also in the process relinquished his chance of getting back in front. There has been much controversy over the enforcement of track limit at turn 4 by the FIA stewards during the race. A clip on social media shows Hamilton exceeding track limits for 29 of the 56 laps without sanction. Naturally, the lack of enforcement of the track limits rule in this case has led to much heated debate online.

Nevertheless, Hamilton drove a stellar race to somehow eke out 26 laps on a set of tyres. There are those that will look at the result and see Hamilton as the victor and dismiss it as just another win for the Brit. But this one he really had to work for, he really had to earn. And the fact that Red Bull clearly had the quicker car makes Hamilton’s drive a genuinely impressive one. He had no business winning that race but he did anyway. That was a champion’s drive.

While Verstappen finishing in second just seven tenths of a second behind Hamilton it was Bottas who trundled home in a disconsolate third. Lando Norris drove an impressive race to finish fourth ahead of Perez who went from the pitlane to fifth on his Red Bull debut. Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari while Daniel Ricciardo brought his McLaren home in seventh. Carlos Sainz was eighth on his Ferrari debut ahead of rookie driver Yuki Tsunoda in ninth for Alpha Tauri. Lance Stroll scored the final point on offer in tenth in what was a decidedly underwhelming weekend for Aston Martin.

The 2021 Bahrain grand prix and the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen could not have delivered a better opening to the season. There is great hope that this is merely the opening chapter in what could be an epic fight glory in 2021. One down, twenty-two to go.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 29, 2021
F1 2021: Bahrain Gp Preview – Red Bull Ready?

The 2020 Formula 1 season was groundbreaking and will be remembered for many reasons. Not least of all being that it was run and completed in the midst of a global pandemic. While the world is still fighting the battle against covid-19 Formula 1 is readying itself for a record-breaking 23 race season in 2021.

Ten teams, twenty driver, and hundreds of team personnel will kick off F1 2021 F1 with the least amount of testing ever run before a new season. A total of three days was all the teams were prescribed to shake off the dust and begin the process of understanding what the respective factories have produced for the new year.

The new racing season will start at Bahrain’s Sakhir International circuit this weekend. It’s a circuit well known to all with an interest in Formula 1 and one that, more often than not, produces an adrenaline-charged and engaging race under the flood lights. It isn’t the first time that Bahrain has hosted the season opener either. Back in 2006 the first race of the season was moved to the Middle Eastern track as Australia played host to the Commonwealth Games that year.

Though the circuit might be familiar there are several enticing questions that accompany the start of the 2021 season. Mercedes has been the dominant force of the hybrid era, which was underlined by their utter command of 2020. Nevertheless, their ‘struggles’ in pre-season testing has been well documented. Lewis Hamilton himself appears convinced that Red Bull has the quicker car heading into the season and he isn’t often a man that utters untruths. Nevertheless, it remains a near unfathomable concept that Mercedes does not have the pace to occupy the front row of the grid nor the top step of the podium. But if it is the case then F1 fans are in for a monumental championship season.

Nothing so far has suggested that the Red Bull is anything but a very quick car. In the hands of Max Verstappen, and perhaps even Checo Perez, it won’t be too bad a bet to stick some money on them for a win this weekend. If it is assured that Mercedes and Red Bull will occupy the top of the timing sheets then it is equally unsure as to which team comes next.

There is quite a bit of excitement around McLaren but there is also an expectation that Ferrari has taken a step forward, especially on the power unit front. How will Fernando Alonso do in his first race back in the sport? And how will the rookies Mick Schumacher and the ever-exciting Yuki Tsunoda fare? Alpha Tauri turned an eye-catching pace in pre-season testing. But was it all just for show?

The permutations and questions are seemingly endless of the eve of the new Formula 1 season. But that is what is building the 2021 season as possibly one of the most exciting in many a year. Simply put, it isn’t nearly as predictable, very little is a certainty, and you cannot afford to miss a single second.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 22, 2021
F1 2020: Bahrain Gp Review – F1 Safety the Winner

A cursory glance at the results of the weekend’s F1 race would reveal another seemingly comfortable victory for Lewis Hamilton ahead of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon. But it would not even begin to tell the story of the 2020 Bahrain grand prix.

The race was immediately brought to stop after only three corners. From the wide shot it appeared that a car had made impact with the outside barrier on turn three and burst into flames. It was a sight highly uncommon in Formula 1. It was soon confirmed that the driver involved was Romain Grosjean. Due to the seriousness of the crash and a lack of immediate information on the driver’s conditions no replays were shown of the incident. Several moments later however the broadcast cameras picked up Grosjean being assisted away from the scene by Dr. Ian Roberts and medical car driver Alan van der Merwe.

With Grosjean seemingly without serious injury the replays were broadcast. The horrific images revealed that the Haas had split into upon impact and that the front section had pierced the steel barrier. The medical car, which always follows the field at the start of a race, stopped at the scene moments later. Ian Roberts ran towards the raging flames as marshals and Alan van der Merwe attempted to douse the fire with extinguishers. Dr. Roberts later reported that the fire extinguisher pushed the flames back just enough for him to assist Grosjean over what was left of the barrier. As it were Grosjean was in the burning car for roughly twenty seconds before being able to pull himself out. He suffered second-degree burns on his hands and some burns to his left foot. Dr. Roberts also reported that the visor on Grosjean’s was melted. It is believed that the impact of the car with the barrier was registered at 221km/h and 53G.

From the monocoque, to the safety belts, to the fireproof overalls everything worked in unison in the crash to allow Grosjean to walk away with only minor injuries. And there was one other piece of equipment that ensured his survival, the Halo. The burnt monocoque was unrecognizable but clearly showed the halo head protection system completely intact. From early assessments, by Ross Brawn and others, it is clear that the Halo had played a significant role in saving Romain Grosjean’s life. There should never again be a discussion about the Halo’s inclusion in the sport and any and all detractors would be best served by keeping their asinine opinions to themselves.

The red flag lasted from more than an hour as track workers replaced the destroyed barrier. The race barely got underway before the safety car was called upon. This time it was Lance Stroll who found himself upside down in the Racing Point after a coming together with Dannil Kvyat. Thankfully, Stroll was uninjured. Racing resumed with Hamilton in the lead and Verstappen in second.

The Merc driver was able to maintain a gap of around four seconds to the Red Bull for most of the race. Verstappen made a late pitstop for fresh tyres and an attempt at the fastest lap. Sergio Perez had been running solidly in third for the majority of the race but was forced into retirement with only three laps to go. As it were Albon inherited third place.

McLaren completed a good day at the office with Lando Norris in fourth and Carlos Sainz in fifth. The Alpha Tauri of Pierre Gasly was sixth ahead of Ricciardo in seventh. Bottas, who had suffered an early puncture, was eighth while Ocon and Leclerc was ninth and tenth.

As fans of the sport we always hope for a spectacle, an edge-of-the-seat race that gets the heart pumping. But on this occasion the anti-climax at the end of it was welcomed. Absolute safety in F1 can never be guaranteed. But because of the work that has been done by the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart, Prof. Sid Watkins, Alex Wurz, and so many others Romain Grosjean was able to walk away from a horrifying crash. We owe all of them the greatest debt of gratitude.

November 30, 2020
F1 2020: Breaking News – F1 Calls Off Season-Opener

Formula 1 has announced that it is calling off the opening round of the 2020 season.

The first race of the new F1 season was scheduled to take place around Australia’s Albert Park circuit this weekend. Despite fears of the coronavirus pandemic F1 surged ahead with plans to kick of its season of racing while several other major sporting codes have called a halt to activities.

Earlier on Thursday afternoon the McLaren team released a statement detailing their withdrawal from the race weekend due to a positive coronavirus test by a team member.

Towards midnight on Thursday all team principals were huddled in a meeting to discuss the way forward. By three am Australian time no decision had been made despite several rumours running rampant that the season-opener was to be postponed. Fans and journalists alike waited seemingly in vain for an official update from the power that be but nothing was forthcoming. It wasn’t until several hours later than an announcement was made that a majority of the teams had decided against racing this weekend.

“We appreciate this is very disappointing news for the thousands of fans due to attend the race” the official statement read. “All parties took into consideration the huge efforts of the AGPC [Australian Grand Prix Corporation], Motorsport Australia, staff and volunteers to stage the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship in Melbourne, however concluded that the safety of all members of the Formula 1 family and the wider community, as well as the fairness of the competition take priority”.

Though there are several aspects that needed to have been considered the amount of time that was taken before an official announcement was forthcoming has not endeared F1 to the racing community of its fans.

While Bahrain has already announced a race ‘behind closed doors’ it is difficult to imagine that it can go ahead. Similarly, the threat that Vietnam could soon be added to the postponement list, along with Australia and China, remains very real. The best-case scenario for F1 2020 is a season-opening race in Zandvoort. But even this remains up in the air.

March 13, 2020
F1 2019: Bahrain Gp Review – Ferrari Falter in the Desert

As Formula 1 celebrated its 999^thrace in Bahrain through all of it what has remained true is the undeniable fact that it is the most unpredictable sport in the world.

The 2019 Bahrain grand prix dished up a cracking race filled to the brim with drama, overtakes, and astonishing turnarounds. For the first time in his fledging F1 career Charles Leclerc lined up in pole position for the start of a grand prix. As the 99^thpole sitter in the history of F1 the Monegasque driver did everything right. He outpaced not only the Mercedes pair of Hamilton and Bottas but also showed his 4-time world champion teammate Vettel the way in qualifying. Still it was a big day for Ferrari. The front row lockout of the grid finally showed the pace that was indicated in pre-season testing but so conspicuously missing in Melbourne.

Leclerc didn’t make the best of start from pole and quickly fell behind Vettel and Bottas who had jumped his Merc teammate at the start. It was too long though before Leclerc fought his way back past Bottas and into second. Vettel seemed to clear off at the front but such was Leclerc’s pace that by lap 5 he’d let the team know that he was planning to go for the overtake. A lap later he drew alongside Vettel and a thrillingly inch perfect wheel-to-wheel battle ensued before Leclerc took the lead with a move around the outside of turn 4.

Leclerc opened a gap to Vettel relatively easily as the second Ferrari came under increasing pressure from Hamilton. While the first round of pitstops saw Hamilton ahead, thanks to the strategic undercut of pitting a lap earlier, the Merc driver began to struggle on the soft tyre. After the second round of stops the Ferrari and Merc were running in close proximity and ultimately the two went wheel-to-wheel in a breathtaking battle for position. Hamilton, with a slight pace advantage, got the job done around turn 4. It would end far worse for Vettel lost the rear of the Ferrari sending him into a spin. It was shades of 2018 all over again for the German driver who had flat-spotted his tyres so badly the vibrations caused the front-wing to detach itself.

For Leclerc it was easy-going in the lead of the race until lap 46 when he reported that there was something strange with the engine. The Ferrari pitwall confirmed that the MGU-H (Motor Generating Unit-Hybrid) had failed. It resulted in a loss of 160 horsepower and decimated any chance of converting pole position into his first race win. On lap 48 he was little more than a sitting duck as Hamilton overtook him for the lead. Credit to Hamilton who waved regretfully as he passed the young Ferrari driver. A handful of laps later he was passed by the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and looked set to relinquish the final step on the podium to Max Verstappen with two laps to go. But almost unbelievably both Renault’s of Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo simultaneously retired within meters of each at turn 1 which prompted the appearance of the safety car.

As it were Lewis Hamilton scored the 74^thwin of his career ahead of teammate and championship leader Bottas. Some would term Hamilton’s win as lucky and they’d be right to a degree. Reliability has and always will be part of motorsport. But because Hamilton kept enough pressure on Vettel and ultimately overtook him for second on the track he placed himself in the right position to scoop up the win when Leclerc hit problems. That is simply the way the F1 story goes sometimes.

The late safety car meant that Leclerc maintained third place. There would be very few in the paddock or indeed in their living rooms around the world that wouldn’t have been gutted for the 21-year-old. For the entire weekend he’d done everything right only to find out was a cruel mistress Formula 1 can truly be. The good news is that Leclerc has enormous potential and a second chance to secure that first race win will come soon.

Max Verstappen ran a fairly anonymous race for Red Bull and finished fourth while Vettel recovered to fifth. Lando Norris underlined his talent with a fine sixth place finish in the McLaren while Kimi Raikkonen pulled the Alfa Romeo to a seventh place finish. Pierre Gasly recovered from a sub-par quali performance to finish eighth as Alexander Albon in the Toro Rosso and Sergio Perez in the Racing Point finished ninth and tenth respectively.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

April 3, 2019
F1 2015: Bahrain Grand Prix – Hamilton Brilliant in Bahrain

It’s no secret that several past Bahrain Grand Prix had been a bore fest. However, since the introduction of a night race two years ago the desert circuit has come alive.

Lewis Hamilton’s dominant start to the 2015 season continued with yet another faultless victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pole position by four tenths of a second over Sebastian Vettel was the precursor for an even more authoritative performance in Sunday’s race. Seemingly always in control, Hamilton’s latest victory is his third of the season.

Ferrari would have wished that the Bahrain Grand Prix was a few laps longer than the allotted 57. An alternative strategy had Kimi Raikkonen within three seconds of race leader Hamilton as the chequered flag beckoned. But the second step of the podium was the best result possible for a team who has once again underlined their staggering progress.

For most, the final stint of the on the softer option tyre would’ve been the headline grabber. After all, the Finn closed down a nineteen second gap and took second place from Nico Rosberg. But it was the middle stint of the Bahrain Grand Prix that defined Raikkonen’s race. While Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel opted for the option tyre at the first stop, Raikkonen fitted the harder medium compound tyre. Logic dictates that top three should’ve been lapping at a quicker pace than Raikkonen given the off-set of tyre performance. Yet, Raikkonen delivered a stunning stint on par and occasionally quicker than those ahead of him.

Lewis Hamilton’s Bahrain Grand Prix drive was faultless and far superior to his teammate who is considered somewhat of a Bahrain-specialist whilst Kimi Raikkonen’s incredible pace on the softer tyre nearly netted him a victory.

It’s difficult to choose a driver of the day between the top two finishers but it bodes well for the rest of the season.

Sebastian Vettel endured an off-colour afternoon as several errors cost him a shot at the podium.

An off track excursion while trying to maintain his position ahead of Rosberg caused the German some front-wing damage and any chance at a podium finish.

A late-race fight with Williams’ Valtteri Bottas added some flavour to an otherwise disappointing race but the German was not able to take fourth place from the Finn.

Timing was everything as Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo crossed the line for sixth under an enormous plume of smoke as the Renault engine let go mere meters from the finish line.

The spectacular, and smoky, end of Ricciardo’s engine doesn’t bode well for the remainder of the season as the Aussie has now used his allotted four engine units.

Lotus Romain Grosjean put a fine drive for seventh ahead of Force India’s Sergio Perez in eighth.

Daniil Kvyat recovered from a difficult weekend to finish ninth while Felipe Massa’s race was compromised by a clash with none other than Pastor Maldonado. The Brazilian suffered floor damage which hampered the performance of his Williams and ultimately finished tenth.

Fernando Alonso dragged the McLaren-Honda into eleventh place but it was dreadful weekend for teammate Jenson Button who suffered issues throughout. The calamity came to a head as the 2009 champion was unable to start his 100^th race for McLaren with a suspected electronic issue.

Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff confirmed after the race that Hamilton and Rosberg struggled with brake issues towards the closing stages. While Rosberg blamed the brake issue for losing second place Hamilton dismissed it as “not really a problem.” Rosberg did show some fight with the two Ferrari’s but didn’t threaten Hamilton at any stage of the weekend. The difference in mentality between Rosberg and Hamilton is noteworthy.

The Spanish Grand Prix around the circuit de Catalunya is three weeks away. It is at this the point of the season that the first big upgrade packages are introduced. It could be a significant moment in the 2015 season which turns the championship fight into more than just a Mercedes show.

Photo credits:

Lewis Hamilton, Bahrain Grand Prix first place trophy: Mercedes AMG F1

Kimi Raikkonen, Bahrain Grand Prix second place trophy: Scuderia Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton, Bahrain Grand Prix winner on the podium: Mercedes AMG F1

Sebastian Vettel off the Bahrain Grand Prix track: Screenshot from SkySports F1

Daniel Ricciardo crossing Bahrain Grand Prix finish line: Screenshot from SkySports F1

April 20, 2015
Hamilton only just edges out Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain GP third practice

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton posted the fast time for the third and final practice session ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain GP. Hamilton’s time of 1:34.599 was only just 0.069s faster than Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.

The day time session though, will not be entirely indicative of what will happen during qualifying and the Bahrain GP race – both of which will take place under the floodlights of the Sakhir International Circuit.

Nico Rosberg finished third fastest and Kimi Raikkonen posted the fourth best time to see Mercedes and Ferrari heading up the top of the timesheets.

The Williams drivers, who were struggling with the tailwinds on the circuit during the session, finished fifth and sixth fastest with Valterri Bottas edging out his team mate Felipe Massa.

Almost a second back, Pastor Maldonado finished in seventh place for his Lotus team with Daniel Ricciardo the only Red Bull driver in the top 10 after his team mate, Daniil Kvyat spun out at Turn 4 and beached his Red Bull in the gravel trap bringing out a brief Red Flag period. The Red Bull mechanics got him back out with 5 minutes of the session remaining and he recovered to finish in 12th place.

Nico Hulkenberg placed his Force India in ninth position and Sauber rookie Felipe Nasr continued to impress, rounding out the Top 10.

Jenson Button somehow managed to post the 11th fastest time for McLaren despite complaining throughout the session about a lack of grip and traction around the circuit.

Marcus Ericsson finished ahead of Max Verstappen who posted the 14th fastest time ahead of Sergio Perez. Alonso managed to bring his McLaren home with the 16th fastest time – beating only Sainz Jr, Romain Grosjean and the two Manor F1 drivers, Will Stevens and Roberto Mehri.

With the Ferrari drivers clearly playing amongst the Mercedes crowd and the gap between Hamilton and Vettel so super close, the scene is set for a very interesting qualifying session under the floodlights. Mercedes still seem to be on top of things, but Ferrari are breathing fire down their necks!

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Lewis Hamilton Bahrain GP FP3 Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG F1

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April 18, 2015