Bahrain Grand Prix – Race
Formation lap:
Klein (P7) stalled – yellow flags but they’re still sent away – he’ll start from the pit lane
01/57: JT & MS wheel to wheel in Turn 1 … MS stays ahead
FA, MS, JT, MW, NH, RS, KR, GF; DR has passed JB; RB up to P13!
CA pits
02: JT slow on the straights … smoke!
CK retired … did he even start?
RB up to P11, ahead of JB
03: NK slowing
GF pits … but passes his garage … rejoins !?
04: FA and MS swapping fastest sector times
NK stopped on (beside) track
Replay shows RB hitting DC in the very first turn
05: GF pits again … retires
FA, MS, JT, MW, NH, RS, KR, TS; RB=10; JB=11; DC=14
09: 3 retirements so far: CK, NK & GF
They’ve finally (only just) moved NK’s car and removed the yellow flags
RS passes NH for P5
10/57: MS just 0.6s behind FA
11: ITV interview CK – “electronic problem” meant they couldn’t fire up the car
12: FA closing in to lap CA
MS off track at T9! Rejoins but looks slow … limping back to the pits … parks it
MS’s first retirement with technial problems since Germany 2001!
14: JT closing (3.0 to 2.7s) on FA
15: FA, JT, MW, RS, NH, KR, TS, PR; RB=09; JB=10; JV=12; DC=13; 4 retirements
FA increases lead to 3.2s
TS battling to keep PdlR behind
Who’s going to pit first?
18: FA sets fastest lap – 1:31.994
PF & RS pit
19: ITV report MS had a hydraulic failure
FA still got the hammer down – now 3.9s ahead of JT
20/57: FA pits
TS and PR battle through a couple of corners
21: PR tries to pass TS in T1 – outbrakes himself, runs wide – RB & JB pass him
22: JT pits … and MW pits
TM pits from P14 (or 3rd-last)
23: FM pits
24: NH & PR pit
Lots of brake dust coming off TS’s BAR
25: KR & JB pit
RB runs wide in T10 and gives TS some breathing space
26: TS & RB pit
JV pits
NH smoking on the main straight – lots of smoke in T1 … eventually pulls off (5th car to retire)
27: DC pits … he’s the last to stop
28: TS spins but rejoins
TS pits … straight in to the garage (6th retirement of the race)
29/57: FA, JT, MW, KR, RS, RB, JB, PR; JV=10; DC=11; 6 retirements (CK, NK, GF, MS, NH, TS)
FA lead ~7.5s
BAR pit-car radio telling JB to watch his brakes
32: ITV interview MS – thinks radiator broken by carbon fibre from FA, not a problem with the new car
33: PR passes JB in to T1
34: KR putting in personal fastest laps
FA lead a touch under 10s
35: MW runs wide at T9; KR and RS pass him
PR closed right in on RB!
36: on-car picture shows RB change line just before (in?) the braking zone
KR runs wide – lots of understeer
37: FA putting in fastest sectors
PR really close to RB but can’t pass him
38: ITV says BAR have told him JB’s got problems – “he’s OK for now”
PR outbrakes himself again in T1, trying to pass RB – runs quite wide and loses lots of time
39: PR now 3.1s behind RB
40/57: FA puts in another fastest lap – 1:31.713 – his lead is over 13s
41: FA pits – tyres look good
ITV interview NH – “no champagne for you today”; NH: “there’s no champagne here anyway”! 
42: PR passes RB
RS pits … and JT pits
43: MW pits
JB closing on RB … but how are his brakes?
44: KR pits
PR setting fastest sector times – f/lap 1:31.447
JB passes RB … and RB very slow out of the corner … but seems to be going OK
45: PR pits … JV pits too
JB & RB yet to pit (and DC)
46: DC pits
47/57: JB pits … stalled it … and they can’t restart it … oh no! … engine running but stalled again … it’s dead … lots of revs now and they drop him … almost takes the rear jack with him! … only makes it to the end of the pit lane 
That’s both BARs out for the second time this season
49: FA, JT, KR, RS, MW, PR, RB, FM; JV=9; DC=10; only 13 cars running
50: PR jinking around behind MW – not phasing the Aussie … PR’s just losing time doing this
51: MW positioning his car nicely into the corners, holding PR off
52/57: FM passes RB … that’s a Sauber passing a Ferrari
Looks like my 1-pint bet is safe … fingers crossed
DC just 0.5s behind JV
53: FA’s lead ~12s … and he’s lapped RB
55: RB slowing … JV closing
JV off track … recovers … but did DC pass him?
56/57: PR passes MW for P5
JV pits and retires
DC right up on RB’s new gearbox
57: FA wins – 2nd consecutive win and Renault’s 100th!
DC passed RB off camera … and RB finishes ~7s behind DC!
RB=9; JV=11; only 13 cars classified.
KR said that he had radio problems and was shown a pit board telling him to come in for fuel … apparently he was very close to running out!
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Next race: San Marino in three weeks (April 22-24) [calendar]
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