Bahrain Grand Prix 2014: The Top 10 Reader Results!

The third Grand Prix of the season, in Bahrain, was won by Lewis Hamilton, ahead of Nico Rosberg and Sergio Pérez. The rest of the top 10 included, in order, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hülkenberg, Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Räikkönen. Let’s see if you followed the order of the race…

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 25 points

Difficult to separate the performance of the Briton from that of his teammate as they seemed so intertwined in this dance that was their battle for victory during the Grand Prix. However, there must be a winner, and it is Hamilton.

Of course, you commend the good start that allowed him to take the lead over Rosberg right from the first corner but above all his impeccable defense against the German during their confrontations that have etched this Bahrain Grand Prix into the history of the discipline.

2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) – 18 points

Author of the pole in front of his teammate, he couldn’t maintain his advantage. But with a car that seemed to have a slightly better pace, he put pressure on Hamilton during the first 20 laps of the race and in the last 10, offering us the battle the F1 world was waiting for.

If you acknowledge his race and his role as equally important as Hamilton’s in the show produced, you also point out the fact that he failed to overtake, being either too predictable or too cautious when it came to trying to gain an advantage over his teammate.

3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) – 15 points

The Australian can finally sport his smile without concern: he scored his first points of the season in Bahrain. After starting 13th on the grid, he methodically climbed up the field—having a small tussle with Sebastian Vettel in particular—before taking advantage of the safety car to close in on the Force India cars and threaten Pérez for the podium.

You commend both his excellent qualification, where he was the best of the rest, as well as his aggressive race where he gained an advantage over most of his competitors – starting with a powerless Vettel – to finish just shy of the podium, which most of you acknowledge with this top 10.

4. Sergio Pérez (Force India) – 12 points

Starting fourth, the Mexican did not miss the opportunity offered on a plate to climb onto a podium he was aiming for the day before. Mission accomplished therefore, effortlessly, taking the advantage in aggression and tire management over Nico Hülkenberg.

You acknowledge that the Mexican was able to compete with and even surpass his teammate both in qualifying and in the race, where his aggressiveness and resilience, particularly against Ricciardo, earned him a podium which you would still take away from him.

5. Nico Hülkenberg (Force India) – 10 points

Starting eleventh, the German quickly took advantage of the pace of his VJM05 to make his way up through the field and engage in a battle with his teammate. A battle he ultimately lost in the tire management game, but his resistance against Ricciardo eventually secured the podium for his team. He takes 3rd place in the drivers’ standings.

The weekend saw the German surprisingly fail in Q2, which you highlighted, as well as his recovery in the race and his incisive side when it came to taking the advantage, despite a few small mistakes (like when overtaking Massa).

6. Felipe Massa (Williams) – 8 points

A resounding start that places him in 3rd position, a great fight with his teammate and the Force India cars for the podium, and then, ultimately, significant tire degradation that forced the issue at the time of the safety car. However, the Brazilian once again outpaces his teammate after Malaysia.

You highlight, of course, the brilliant start of the Brazilian driver and his strong race against his teammate and against the Force India team. However, a challenging strategy due to tire degradation and the safety car prevented him from aiming for more than his 7th place in the race. You even make him gain a position.

7. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) – 6 points

Despite a failed qualification, the four-time reigning champion ultimately saves the day by managing to finish 6th in the race. However, he may harbor some regrets when looking at his teammate’s performance. He complained about a lack of speed on the straights, which the Grand Prix footage seemed to confirm, as he struggled to overtake while Ricciardo was flying on the track.

You obviously don’t refrain from making the comparison with his teammate in this race, and it doesn’t turn in Vettel’s favor. More in the background and ultimately dominated the whole weekend by Ricciardo, you rank him one place behind his actual position.

8. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) – 4 points

His impressive qualification in 4th position, turned into 3rd, was somewhat overshadowed by an average start and a difficult race during which he struggled to manage his tires with a Williams car very hungry for rubber. A few small mistakes also cost him time. You still leave him in his place.

You highlight his relatively good race, but also the fact that he made multiple mistakes and ultimately couldn’t, due to the delicate tire strategy, perform better than his final position.

9. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) – 2 points

At the wheel of an F14-T whose top speed is not remarkable, the Spaniard could not do better than a distant 9th place this time, ahead of his teammate, admittedly, but with the feeling that fast circuits are likely to be the Scuderia’s stumbling block. His gesture of annoyance as he crossed the line was clear on this matter.

9th in the race and 9th in this top 10, Alonso once again, according to you, did his best with an underperforming car. You also highlight his slight squeeze on Räikkönen at the start.

10. Jenson Button (McLaren) – 1 point

For a 250th race, it is probably not what the Brit had hoped for as he had to retire two laps before the end, due to a stubborn clutch. Overall, however, the 2009 world champion’s race was compromised by the safety car, which put him on medium tires against drivers on soft tires, leaving him no chance to capitalize on his good position at the time of the restart.

You acknowledge the fact that he was in the mix for a long time in the middle of the pack of contenders for the top 5 before having to step back, due to an unfavorable tire strategy and a stubborn clutch. In your opinion, he still has more to offer, despite his roaring 250th.

Outside the top 10, no words, just a ranking:

11. Kimi Räikkönen

12. Pastor Maldonado

13. Romain Grosjean

14. Daniil Kvyat

15. Max Chilton

16. Kevin Magnussen

17. Kamui Kobayashi

18. Jules Bianchi

19. Marcus Ericsson

20. Jean-Eric Vergne

21. Esteban Gutierrez

22. Adrian Sutil

An update on the readers’ ranking:

Thank you all for voting (164 forms have been filled out) and see you on Sunday, April 20th to elect the top 10 of the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix!