Two scintillating races into Formula One’s new era of racing, the championship heads under the stars of the desert for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Join The Roar for a live blog of the race, starting from 1am AEST.
It’s a race that has seen many great battles between championship rivals in the past, with Mercedes AMG teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg having captivated viewers in 2014.
Can 2017’s title rivals in Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel follow suit? As both drivers enter this event tied on 43-points at the top of the table.
Both combatants also come to the 5.4km Sakhir circuit having been tied on two wins apiece in Bahrain.
Though a Ferrari victory has not come since 2010, when Fernando Alonso won at the one off ‘endurance’ layout of the track.
Ferrari’s race-car has in the first two races been a lot more comfortable than the Mercedes AMG and once again with the elevated temperatures – the red car is favoured to take the honours in the race.
However, the Silver Arrows did claim its third pole position of the season, with Valtteri Bottas recording his career first ahead of teammate Hamilton.
Vettel who was third fastest, was concerningly 0.4 seconds down from the pole sitter, but remains in a strong position to capitalise come the race.
Daniel Ricciardo split the Ferraris on the second row, having qualified fourth and ahead of an aimless Kimi Räikkönen.
The Haas of Romain Grosjean will start inside the top ten, as the Frenchman seeks to repeat the team’s best result from last year’s race of fifth.
They will be battling both the Renaults, who’ve for the first time since returning to the sport as a manufacturer team in 2016 – have qualified in the top ten, led by Nico Hulkenberg in seventh.
The Force Indias of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez in fourteenth and eighteenth will be ones to look out for too during the race. Despite claiming that they’ve got the ‘worst’ car of the midfield, both drivers have scored points at the opening two grand prix.
As with China, there should be overtaking aplenty, though tougher than 2016.
Will Bottas then now be able to convert his first pole position to his first career victory? Or shall the familiar names return to the fore.
A salivating 57-lap contest under the stars of the desert awaits. Join us on The Roar on Monday morning from 1am AEST then for live blog coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Well that's a wrap for Bahrain Grand Prix, as we look forward to the championship resuming in a fortnight's time in Russia. Who strikes next? Vettel again, or Hamilton? Much to mull over following this cracker of a race! Thanks for joining The Roar for live blog coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix and we hope you join us again for Russia. Adios!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 68 -- Sebastian Vettel 61 -- Lewis Hamilton 38 -- Valtteri Bottas 34 -- Kimi Räikkönen 25 -- Max Verstappen 22 -- Daniel Ricciardo 16 -- Felipe Massa 14 -- Sergio Perez 10 -- Carlos Sainz 4 --- Kevin Magnussen 4 --- Romain Grosjean 3 --- Esteban Ocon 2 --- Nico Hulkenberg 0 --- Daniil Kvyat 0 --- Pascal Wehrlein 0 --- Antonio Giovinazzi 0 --- Jolyon Palmer 0 --- Stoffel Vandoorne 0 --- Fernando Alonso 0 --- Marcus Ericsson 0 --- Lance Stroll
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 102 - Scuderia Ferrari 99 -- Mercedes AMG 47 -- Red Bull Racing 17 -- Force India Mercedes 16 -- Williams Mercedes 12 -- Scuderia Toro Rosso 8 --- Haas Ferrari 2 --- Renault Sport 0 --- Sauber Ferrari 0 --- McLaren Honda
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RACE REPORT A thrilling race under the night of Bahrain has been won by Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari, as Lewis Hamilton was left rue a 5-second penalty during the race. Led away by Valtteri Bottas from pole position, the race started as a five-pronged battle involving both Mercedes AMGs, Vettel and both the Red Bulls. Ferrari bit the bullet and pitted their driver Vettel first, which worked to their advantage as the Silver Arrows were forced to double-stack their cars under the appearance of the safety car. Whilst the safety car was recovering the wrecks of Lance Stroll who was unfortunately wiped out by Carlos Sainz, Hamilton was caught making a slow entry into the pit-lane – having held up Daniel Ricciardo and was subsequently penalised for it. Bottas struggled through the balance of the race with rear-end issues and an imbalance with his tyre pressures, which forced Mercedes AMG to use the Finn as the ‘number two’ driver and have him step aside to let Hamilton have a crack at Vettel. Max Verstappen after making a stellar start to the race, found himself on the sidelines after 12 laps after a brake failure on his out-lap following the first round of pit-stops. The second round of stops saw the lead of the race once again back in Vettel’s hands, as Hamilton served his 5-second penalty. But this set up a battle for the final phase of the race, where on fresh tyres the Briton was unsuccessfully able to hunt down the Ferrari. Thirteen drivers graced the chequered flag eventually, with points once again being claimed by the Force Indias, who both started outside the top ten. A solid seventh for Sergio Perez was backed up by another tenth-place finish for Esteban Ocon. Pascal Wehrlein on his Formula One return raced to eleventh, after starting thirteenth. The Sauber driver held his own against the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Jolyon Palmer and Fernando Alonso – who once again was forced to retire his McLaren in the dying stages of the race. The Spaniard’s teammate Stoffel Vandoorne failed to even start the Bahrain Grand Prix, with power-unit troubles once again beleaguering the McLaren outfit. Vettel’s second win of the season gives him a 7-point lead in the standings over Hamilton, as Ferrari hold a 3-point advantage to Mercedes AMG in the constructor’s championship.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Standby for race report and updated points tables.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Podium Interviews - Hosted by David Coulthard VETTEL - "Really great day." "Right after the start, I felt that we were quick." "We went for the undercut and it worked." HAMILTON - "Thank you to Valtteri for being a gentleman out there." "It is what it is and I gave it my all." BOTTAS - "It was a really tricky race for me, struggling with pace." "I was rear-limited and over-steering."
SmithHatesMaxwell
Guest
Valtteri, Lewis is faster than you... For a guy that doesn't like abiding by team orders he certainly likes to take advantage of them. Needed Bottas to move over for him TWICE to finish second in the best car. They even dudded Bottas with strategy by sticking him on super-softs twice even though he was struggled badly on them in the first stint. Crazy. What's more it committed Bottas to a two stopper, whereas Hamilton had the one stop strategy up his sleeve by going on softs for the middle stint. Hamilton was dismissing the idea of Alonso going to Mercedes in 2018 saying there was chance it would happen. Maybe Alonso wouldn't get Bottas's seat by Hamilton's. If Hamilton can't win the championship this year that's two years in a row he's been given the best car (2016 Merc was the best car of all time) but failed to achieve a championship.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RESULTS FROM THE 57 LAP BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 1 S. Vettel 2 L. Hamilton 3 V. Bottas 4 K. Räikkönen 5 D. Ricciardo 6 F. Massa 7 S. Perez 8 R. Grosjean 9 N. Hulkenberg 10 E. Ocon 11 P. Wehrlein 12 D. Kvyat 13 J. Palmer RET F. Alonso RET M. Ericsson RET C. Sainz RET L. Stroll RET M. Verstappen RET K. Magnussen RET S. Vandoorne
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 57/57: FINAL LAP SEBASTIAN VETTEL wins the Bahrain Grand Prix in what was a thrilling race. LEWIS HAMILTON must settle for the runner's up position, as he'll lament a 5-second penalty. VALTTERI BOTTAS from pole position clinches third and completes the podium.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 57/57: FINAL LAP Wehrlein and Kvyat going at it on the final lap for eleventh, as the German defends the position against the Toro Rosso.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 56/57: 2 LAPS TO GO VET HAM BOT RÄI RIC MAS PER GRO HUL OCO is the current top ten.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 55/57: 3 LAPS TO GO "Engine problem," reports Alonso as it looks as if the sister McLaren too is going to park up and retire from the race. Following Stoffel Vandoorne bowing out before the race even began.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 54/57: Vettel has cleared the lapped traffic, as its up to Hamilton now to pass. Though those who believed the Briton had a chance anyway must have been dreaming.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 53/57: 5 LAPS TO GO The stranded Sauber is quickly removed from the side of the circuit. Vettel continues to negotiate lapped traffic, as his lead stands at 6.8 seconds over Hamilton.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 52/57: The Sauber of Ericsson slowing down here and pulling to the side of the track. "Gearbox broken," reports the Swede. This'll bring out the yellow flags at Turn 4, which is an overtaking hotspot.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 51/57: 8.8 seconds now between the top two.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 50/57: Hamilton is now within 10 seconds of Vettel.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 49/57: The Ferrari of Vettel now enters the fray with lapped traffic. Here is where Mercedes AMG have forecasted that their driver will make the gains neccessary to catch Vettel.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 48/57: The deed is done and Bottas has stepped aside for Hamilton to pursue. 13 seconds between Vettel and Hamilton now.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 47/57: Sounds here as if Mercedes AMG will be orchestrating another pass for Hamilton, which is a shame for Bottas who was the pole-sitter and had the early pace. Hamilton's engineer geeing him up and telling his driver that he can go for the win.