A successful egg hunt for Vettel: reactions from the podium!

Speed and anticipation, the winning formula for Vettel

The last doubts seem to have disappeared. The SF70H is indeed well-born! Sebastian Vettel provided new proof of his machine’s competitiveness by winning the Bahrain Grand Prix, the third round of the 2017 season.

Mastering the timing of his first pit stop perfectly from the 11th lap, just before the Safety Car intervention, the German driver remained imperious afterwards. Above all, the winner relied on his pace:

« It was truly a great day! It was a team effort! From the start, I had the feeling that we were fast. Valtteri made no mistakes. We tried the undercut and it worked perfectly. I was surprised to come out ahead of everyone, I thought we had lost the advantage under the Safety Car. »

It was quite the opposite! Quick on his exit from the pits, Vettel had gained the crucial tenths needed to take the lead. Once the race resumed, the four-time world champion held the reins, despite a delayed final stop for Hamilton. The “remontada” did not happen in Sakhir, much to his delight.

« Lewis threatened me a little towards the end. But the car was great today! »

Asked by one of his former Red Bull clan teammates, the driver who won his 44th Grand Prix elaborated on his comments using a comparison perfectly suited to the day’s context:

The year will be long. I was a little disappointed with that gap yesterday during qualifying. But something deep was rooted in me telling me we had a good car. I felt the car well from the very first lap: the Easter hunt was on! There were eggs hidden on the track, but we found them.

Below the podium, Maurizio Arrivabene rounded out the scene by justifying the team’s very good strategy. After multiple errors in the recent past, Ferrari’s pit wall is showing inspiration at the start of this season:

« The team showed courage, determination, and a bit of madness. Taking a risk in light of these three qualities, that’s the DNA of Ferrari! »

Si! #ForzaFerrari #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/a8wX8UZmAd

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) 16 avril 2017

Hamilton at fault

The Englishman didn’t mince his words to summarize his race of the day. Everything changed for him during the safety car intervention. Behind Bottas and obliged to stop, Lewis Hamilton deliberately slowed down for a few seconds to avoid being hindered during his own tire change. Unfortunately for him, the stewards noticed and imposed a five-second penalty. Ever the sportsman, he still congratulated his opponent and his own teammate, who did not resist his comeback:

« It was my fault. Congratulations to Seb and thank you to Valtteri for being a gentleman. I tried my best to catch up, but there was too much gap to close! I gave everything I had. »

After battling against Nico Rosberg for the past three seasons, he now faces a new adversary, all dressed in red. For the first time in their careers, the two most decorated drivers of the moment might find themselves alone at the top in the quest for the title.

« Ferrari did a fantastic job. We will regroup and come back to fight.

Losing points for the team is the most painful thing, but that’s how it is. The Briton will console himself for now with the 33rd personal fastest lap achieved.

.@LewisHamilton goes home with the @DeutschePostDHL Fastest Lap Award for the 2nd race in a row#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/6U123kOxvQ

— Formula 1 (@F1) 16 avril 2017

Unconverted try for Bottas

The Finn’s Sunday was not as brilliant as his Saturday. The first pole of his career did not allow him to claim his first victory. Leading but struggling from the start, Bottas was in any case battling with his W08:

« It was a really tricky race for me. I struggled with the pace throughout the race. We had a problem with the tire pressure. I had issues at the rear on each of my stints. »

The former Williams driver therefore does not join the prestigious circle of Grand Prix winners. He will modestly settle for an eleventh personal podium, the second for his new employer.

« It’s really a shame because our target today was much higher.

But still, it was my best weekend for the team. The best is yet to come.

To conclude, Toto Wolff explained Bottas’s problems:

« We had an issue with the pneumatic pressure generator. It ended up with too high pressure, which didn’t allow it to keep pace. But Ferrari played it well. »

As the main actor, the executive director of the team commented on the decision to let Hamilton pass in favor of Bottas.

« We tried not to interfere, but at a certain point, you have to decide if you want to lose the race or make a decision. But it was something difficult, I don’t want to do it again! »

«

The race is very close. Over one lap, we have a slight advantage. In the race, Ferrari has a small lead, thanks to their tire management. But you can’t judge solely by today’s race. We don’t know what would have happened if Lewis had been ahead earlier…

Double penalty for Mercedes, losing the top spot in the constructors’ standings like in Melbourne. But the race promises to be intense for the rest of the season. The German company has never faced such a worthy opponent…

Proud of both of our boys up there 👏 #LH44 and #VB77 with another double podium #BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/23G6gB16PR

— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 16 April 2017