Bahrain Grand Prix – Race

After yesterday’s Qualifying session SUT was given a five-place grid penalty and received two penalty points on his Super Licence for blocking GRO in Q1. (RIC has a 10-place grid penalty following an unsafe release from his third pit stop in the Malaysian race.)

Revised grid: ROS, HAM, BOT, PER, RAI, BUT, MAS, MAG, ALO, VET, HUL, KVY, RIC, VER, GUT, GRO, MAL, KOB, BIA, ERI, CHI, SUT.
(My GridBids picks are BUT, ROS, HAM, VET & KOB.)

Tyre compounds this weekend: prime=medium, option=soft
The top 9 cars are all starting on the used options, the tyres on which they set their fastest qualifying times. Behind them, everyone’s on options except VET and SUT.

ROS leads everyone away on the formation lap – slow start from HAM and PER, but they all get off the false grid

01/57: HAM inside his teammate to take P1 from ROS
ROS fights back – almost contact
VER has a puncture

02: HAM, ROS, MAS, PER, BOT, BUT, ALO, HUL, RAI, VET
VET pits; “crazy, that Lotus guy – don’t know who it was; absolutely mental”

03: DRS enabled
GRO falling back; currently P19

04: ROS fastest lap 1:40.566

05/57: HAM f/lap 1:40.544
HAM, ROS, MAS, PER, BOS, BUT, HUL, ALO, RAI, VET

06: Radio for HAM – “looking after left front”
Radio for ROS – “we have the alternative strategy” – longer first stint?
MAL takes P14 from GUT

07: VET (on primes) all over the rear of RAI

08: SUT pits – slow stop
KOB past ERI for P18

09: RIC dives down the inside of MAG but runs wide
KVY attacking RIC for P12

10/57: HAM, ROS, MAS, PER, BOT, BUT, HUL, ALO, RAI, VET
BUT inside BOT; BOT fights back; BUT takes P5
HUL follows BUT through; takes P6 from BOT

11: BOT pits, as does KVY
BOT rejoins P16; KVY P19
RIC harrying MAG for P10; eventually makes it past

12: PER steals P3 from MAS

13: ALO pits from P7; bit slow with the rear right; rejoins P15, behind KOB
VET still on the tail of RAI
SUT pulls his Sauber off track and retires
Replay shows he tangled with BIA

14: MAS and RAI pit
Radio from VET – DRS not working
BIA pits

15/57: HAM, ROS, PER, BUT, HUL, VET, RIC, MAL, BOT, MAS
Incident involving cars 99 (SUT) and 17 (BIA) under investigation – causing a collision
Radio from RIC asking for team to tell VET to let him past
RIC passes VET for P5

16: RAI f/lap 1:40.145
HUL attacking RAI – takes P12

17: PER pits, as does VET
Yet to pit: HAM, ROS, BUT, RIC, MAL

18: ROS inside HAM but HAM cuts back and hangs on to P1
BUT pits

19: ROS has another go at HAM – they’re fighting hard
Drive-through penalty for BIA for causing collision
VET f/lap 1:39.312

20: HAM pits from P1; new options; clean stop
Radio for ROS – push hard for 2 laps then we go to prime tyre
PER takes P6 from ALO
BIA pits to serve drive-through penalty

21: BUT uses DRS to take P8 from RAI

22: ROS pits from P1; primes; rejoins well behind HAM
VET closing on RAI for P9

23: MAS on the tail of his teammate – will he ask team to tell BOT to let him pass?
Given MAS didn’t let BOT pass in the previous race, can he expect BOT to let him through?

24: Radio from MAS – BOT is losing his rear tyres
MAS has HUL and PER right behind him
VET attacking RAI but can’t make a pass

25/57: HAM, ROS, BOT, MAS, HUL, PER, ALO, BUT, VET, RAI
Radio from BOT, asking to box

26: BOT pits but team don’t appear to be ready
HUL attacking MAS for P3; HUL runs off track slightly; PER dives past his teammate

27: RIC closing on RAI
Radio from BUT – DRS not working

28: Big lockup from RIC as he tries to pass RAI
PER takes P3 from MAS

29: MAS and ALO pit
RAI locks up as RIC is all over the rear of the Ferrari

30/57: HAM, ROS, PER, HUL, BUT, VET, RAI, RIC, BOT, MAS; retirements: VER, SUT
BOT closing on the RAI, RIC battle over P7

31: BOT glides past RIC under braking but takes to the grass to avoid RAI

32: RIC finally finds a tiny gap, gets inside RAI to steal P7
BOT attacks RAI too; also makes it past

33: HAM leads ROS by 8.5secs; PER is another 25secs further back

34: RAI pits; rejoins P13
BOT easily past RIC for P7
Radio for HAM – good on fuel, no need to lift & coast; HAM replies he’s looking after his tyres

35/57: HAM, ROS, PER, HUL, BUT, BOT, MAS, RIC, ALO, MAL
PER pits; rejoins just behind ALO

36: VET pits – slow stop – problem with left rear
HUL and BUT pit together; RIC pits too
ERI pulls off and retires his Caterham

37: VET takes P9 from MAL
RIC attacking RAI again

38: RIC round the outside of RAI to take P12
RIC easily past MAG for P11
HUL f/lap 1:38.785

39: MAS pits; rejoins P10, behind RIC

40/57: HAM, ROS, BOT, PER, HUL, ALO, BUT, VET, RIC, MAS; retirements: ERI, VER, SUT
RAI takes P11 from MAL

41: MAL and KVY pit
GUT off at Turn 1 – replay shows MAL exiting the pit lane T-boned GUT – barrel rolled in mid-air!
Fortunately GUT is moving in the cockpit – no sign of a marshal, but the car is barely off the racing line in Turn 1 – should be an immediate deployment of the Safety Car, but no sign 🙁
GUT getting out of the car – still no marshals
Safety Car deployed

42[SC]: HAM and ROS pit
MAG has parked his McLaren off track
ALO and RAI pit

43[SC]: Replay on-board with GUT – wow!
BBC describe it as a racing incident but I don’t see how it’s anything but MAL’s fault

44[SC]: Lapped cars (4, 10, 13, 17) may now overtake
GUT’s car has been cleared

45/57[SC]: HAM, ROS, PER, HUL, BUT, VET, RIC, MAS, BOT, ALO; RAI, KVY, GRO, MAL, KOB, CHI, BIA; retirements: MAG, GUT, ERI, VER, SUT
Bunching up behind the SC has helped the 3-stoppers and wiped out the lead of HAM and ROS

46[SC]: Incident involving cars 13 (MAL) and 21 (GUT) under investigation – causing a collision
Radio for HAM – Paddy Lowe tells HAM “bring both cars home” but doesn’t say they can’t race each other
Radio for ROS – repeating the message he gave HAM
Lights off on the SC – coming in at the end of this lap

47: HAM sprints away but ROS sticks to his tail
ROS attacking HAM
10 second stop-go penalty for car 13 (MAL) – causing a collision
BUT runs wide; VET steals P5
RIC past BUT too

48: HAM f/lap 1:38.037
MAS inside BUT to take P7
Radio from HAM – no power! (although he just set the fastest Sector 1 time)
ALO lining up BUT

49: HAM still holding off ROS
HAM f/lap 1:37.306
DRS enabled (after SC period)
RIC stuck to the rear of his teammate (VET)

50/57: HAM, ROS, PER, HUL, VET, RIC, MAS, BOT, ALO, BUT
ROS f/lap 1:37.020
RIC inside VET in Turn 1 – takes P5
BIA has already been lapped again

51: Radio from VET – I’m really slow down the straight
HUL holding up RIC and VET
VET takes a look inside RIC but RIC holds on to P5

52: ROS dives down the inside of HAM again
HAM pushes ROS as far as he can

53: ROS still has DRS and continues to attack HAM
HAM is on primes; ROS on options
Will Mercedes tell them to go easy? And if they do, will the drivers listen?

54: RIC past HUL for P4
Radio for HAM – you can use overtake (boost) on the exit of corners when you need it

55/57 = 3 laps left: HAM, ROS, PER, RIC, HUL, VET, MAS, BOT, ALO, RAI
ROS is 16.5secs ahead of PER
Radio for PER – excellent job, focus
HUL still fending off VET

56: BUT is coasting – that’s both McLarens retiring
VET defends but MAS put a wheel on the dust, squeezes past to take P6
BUT finally makes it back to the pits; into the garage; retires in his 250th Grand Prix 🙁

57/57 = final lap: HAM holding ROS at bay
BOT closing on his teammate – will MAS hold on to P7?

HAM takes the chequered flag, with ROS right behind him
PER brings the Force India home for P3; RIC hot on his tail

Radio for HAM – nice work! HAM says “we didn’t quite have the pace” (over ROS) – “we’ll have to work on that”
Radio for ROS – fantastic job; great racing.

Provisional result: HAM, ROS, PER, RIC, HUL, VET, MAS, BOT, ALO, RAI; KVY, GRO, CHI, MAL, KOB, BIA
DNF: BUT, MAG, GUT, ERI, VER, SUT

Great reaction as the Mercedes drivers get out of their cars, jostling each other
Good to see in the podium prep room HAM and ROS still enjoying the battle

Brian Johnson (of AC/DC) interviewing the guys on the podium for the 900th Grand Prix
Lewis – great race
Nico – “hate coming second to Lewis” 🙂
Sergio – “been a while since my last podium”