Bahrain – Race: Vettel wins the third act!

The qualifying session had crowned a Mercedes driver, who became caliph in place of the caliph. For his first pole, Valtteri Bottas had interposed himself in a duel already scrutinized by the entire field. Beaten by 23 thousandths, Lewis Hamilton settled for second place, on the dirty side of the track, ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Scuderia Ferrari reluctantly assumed the status of favorite, due to its effective tire management, briefly seen in Melbourne and Shanghai.

Last-minute guest from the grid procedure, the wind was disrupting the drivers and was set to play a role for the 57 laps of the race, held for the fourth consecutive year at sunset. The temperature, increased by a few degrees (24 in the air and 30 on the ground), also reshuffled the strategic deck.

Stayed in his garage due to yet another engine issue, Stoffel Vandoorne left his teammates and let the pack be led by a Finn for the first time since 2008. After a trouble-free formation lap, the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix was underway!

Bottas will not thank the Safety car…

The poleman did not crack at the green light and held the first place for a while. But Lewis Hamilton lost the second to Sebastian Vettel! Starting from the wrong side, Verstappen did well by climbing to fourth place, ahead of Ricciardo, Massa, and Räikkönen. A good surprise also for Esteban Ocon, catapulted into the top 10 during the first lap.

Very quickly, a small train was formed with the five leading drivers, all within the same second during the first laps! Pressing on, Kimi Räikkönen overtook Massa on the main straight to catch the right train. A nice spectacle overall, which Kévin Magnussen missed, as he was let down by his Haas-Ferrari on the 9th lap.

In Bottas’ rear-view mirrors, Vettel was playing the undercut from the 11th lap. Ferrari forced Mercedes’ hand by fitting… super-soft tires! An aggressive strategy for the Scuderia, copied by Max Verstappen the following lap. The Dutchman managed only three corners before his machine failed him. Shock ensued at Red Bull and throughout the circuit. Stroll and Sainz collided in the first corner, abandoning their respective vehicles immediately after.

Consequently, the Safety Car was deployed on track.

Remaining outside, both Mercedes cars dove into the pit lane one after the other for their first stop. Both Bottas and Hamilton lost a position, to the benefit of Vettel, the new leader, and Ricciardo, the new third place. However, the stewards rightly launched an investigation into the British driver, accused of slowing down at the beginning of the neutralization to create space so as not to be hindered by Bottas’s own stop. The three-time world champion received a penalty a few minutes later!

GAINS AND LOSSES (LAP 16/57): A dramatic few minutes has really shaken things up at the #BahrainGP 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/PsynzDv8go

— Formula 1 (@F1) 16 avril 2017

The restart on lap 16 was intense: Both Bottas and Hamilton were charging at the drivers ahead. Only the Englishman gained a place, overtaking Ricciardo on the start/finish straight. The double penalty was painful for “Dan the Man,” who was then passed by Massa and Räikkönen in quick succession. On an alternate strategy like Hamilton and Massa, the Australian had switched to soft tires during his stop!

However, despite being penalized, the Briton was offered second place on a silver platter by his team, who asked Valtteri Bottas to let his teammate pass.

The plan was unfolding without a hitch for the Scuderia, who had regained the lead with Vettel. In a very personal style, the German was building a safety cushion, extending the gap beyond two seconds. On the 27th lap, Hamilton overtook Bottas as planned in the first corner, without any resistance.

Vettel’s Head Start

The already high number of retirements (five, fifteen cars still in the race) was certainly benefiting Fernando Alonso, still frustrated about driving with a lagging engine. Having dropped to thirteenth, the Spaniard offered the audience another scathing remark via his radio: “I have never driven with so little power in my life,” he said.

Nice battle nonetheless between the three drivers on the cusp of the points.

The halfway mark of the race had been passed and the second wave of pit stops was initiated by Valtteri Bottas. He returned on soft tires. The Finn allowed the two leading drivers to pull away, well positioned to battle for the race.

At the 33rd lap, Sebastian Vettel changed his tires. Lewis Hamilton took the lead for the first time in this Grand Prix. The Englishman now had the opportunity to aim precisely for his last stint.

But his rival was also not losing a single second against Kimi Räikkönen, who kindly gave up his position. With the knife between his teeth, Vettel chipped away tenth by tenth and even set the fastest lap.

📢 FASTEST LAP KLAXON

VET puts in a 1:33.826 on his fresh set of tyres

He passes RAI to take P2 and heads off in pursuit of HAM#BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/jv8q0NtJsF

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 16, 2017

The gaps between the drivers were clear, and the main battle was indeed in the leading trio. Behind, Grosjean anchored a spot in the top 10 along with Ocon.

The final stand for Hamilton

The Ferrari driver reclaimed the lead on the 43rd lap, after Lewis Hamilton’s last pit stop, rejoining in third with soft tires, against his will. With a 10-second lead over Bottas and 15 seconds over Hamilton, Vettel had built a small cushion of security. But the former McLaren driver is a fighter. Authoritatively, the Englishman overtook Bottas once again without a shadow of a doubt by the 48th lap. Motivated by his engineer, the message was clear: victory was

Still possible on the 50th lap!

Hindered by backmarkers, including Alonso himself (who retired for the third time with three laps to go), Vettel experienced some nervous moments. However, the gap was sufficient to reach the finish line as the winner.

**The Ferrari driver triumphs in Sakhir!** Third local victory for the four-time world champion, who leaves his rival eight points behind in the overall standings.

STUNNING WIN for #Seb5 and the Scuderia at the #BahrainGP! #Kimi7 P4 #ForzaFerrari #LaFerraridellaFerrari pic.twitter.com/H8pE5hGuk1

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) April 16, 2017

Third, Bottas gradually faded as the race went on. Kimi Räikkönen once again finishes in fourth place. Ricciardo, Massa, Pérez, Grosjean, Hülkenberg, and Ocon collect the remaining points.

For the 226th time in Formula 1 history, the bells are ringing in Maranello to celebrate a Ferrari victory! This time it’s certain, the Scuderia will be a formidable opponent throughout the season.

Here is the full ranking for this Bahrain Grand Prix:

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/aHHjf2i6nk

— Formula 1 (@F1) 16 avril 2017