Bahrain Grand Prix – Race

Air temperature 29°C; track 42°C; wind 5.8m/s; humidity 38%; dry

The provisional grid as set in Qualifying: ROS, VET, ALO, HAM*, WEB*, MAS, DIR, SUT, RAI, BUT; GRO, PER,RIC, HUL, BOT, VER; MAL, GUT*, PIC, BIA, VDG, CHI
*Penalties to be applied: HAM +5 grid spots; WEB +3; GUT +5.

Updated grid: ROS, VET, ALO, MAS, DIR, SUT, WEB, RAI, HAM, BUT, GRO, PER, RIC, HUL, BOT, VER, MAL, PIC, BIA, VDG, CHI, GUT

BUT will be starting on the option (medium compound) tyre

ROS leads everyone away on the formation lap
Race control: 100m board on entry to Turn 14 will be removed as damaged
Grid is forming up

01/57: Not the best of starts for ROS
ALO takes P2 from VET in to Turn 1
VET fights back; reclaims P2
SUT was making a move but is now dropping back down the order – contact with MAS?

02: ROS, VET, ALO, DIR, MAS, WEB, RAI, BUT, PER, HAM
GUT pits, as does SUT
ROS defending – barely holding off VET
Radio for VER telling him he has a puncture

03: BUT fastest lap 1:42.654
Race control: DRS enabled
VET powers past ROS for P1
VDG pits
VER pits

04: VET f/lap 1:41.960
ALO uses DRS to take P2 but ROS fights back and re-takes the position

05/57: VET, ROS, ALO, DIR, MAS, WEB, BUT, PER, RAI, GRO
VET f/lap 1:41.417
ALO passes ROS into Turn 1 to take P2

06: DIR attacking ROS for P3 … and makes it stick
MAS has lost the front end-plate from his front wing, presumably in the first lap contact with SUT

07: MAS now looking at ROS
MAS all over the rear of ROS, despite his broken front wing
On-board camera shows ALO’s DRS wing element stuck open – that’s dangerous
Radio for ALO – “box now”

08: ALO pits – mechanics release the DRS elements – rejoins P17
PER challenging BUT for P6
ALO’s DRS element stuck open again

09: WEB pits, as does GRO
ALO back in the pits – they’ve manually closed the DRS element – hopefully ALO knows not to use DRS again

10/57: ROS and BUT pit, followed by RIC and BIA

11: VET pits from P1
Also pit stops for MAS, PER, HAM and MAL
WEB f/lap 1:40.030
Front 4 (DIR, RAI, HUL, BOT) all have yet to stop
FIA timing shows blue flag for BOT, but who’s lapping him? He’s currently P4!

12: BUT uses DRS to take P7 from ROS

13: HUL pits
VET f/lap 1:39.849
GRO and MAS battling hard over P8
Only DIR, RAI and HAM on primes

14: VET f/lap 1:39.462
BOT pits – that just leaves DIR and RAI at the front and yet to pit
PER just inches away from the rear of GRO
Radio for DIR – “box”

15/57: RAI (yet to pit), VET, WEB, ROS, BUT, MAS, GRO, PER, DIR; no retirements
VET easily past RAI for P1

16: Brief loss of TV signal; signal’s back but no commentary
RAI still lapping on his original option (medium) tyres but is well off the pace – he’s got to pit soon, surely
Radio for VET – “your pace is good”

17: RAI pits – did he clip the front jack? – rejoins P11 – so now everyone has made at least one stop
GRO and PER easily past MAS – problem for the Ferrari?

18: MAS pits – damaged right rear – still running with damaged front wing
VER pits and is pushed into the garage

19: Still no commentary on TSN (BBC feed)
SUT stop #2

20/57: VET, WEB, ROS, BUT, GRO, PER, DIR, HAM, RAI, HUL; retirements: VER
BUT takes P3 from ROS … and then GRO passes the Mercedes too

21: PER now closing on ROS
ROS and PER pit together – ROS stays just ahead
SUT f/lap 1:38.909

22: Radio from HAM – “rears going off; balance so poor”
WEB and BUT pit
(Still no commentary)

23: PER attacking ROS .. and takes P10
HAM pits
WEB easily past ALO for P15

24: Commentary is back!
MAL pits
PER passes ROS – BUT follows his teammate past ROS
PER cuts across BUT – time for the team to talk to PER?

25/57: VET, GRO, DIR, RAI, WEB, HUL PER, BUT, ROS, MAS
ALO pits

26: VET pits – rejoins still comfortably in P1
PER and BUT pass HUL – pushing him to P9

27: DIR takes P2 from GRO
BUT passes his teammate for P6

28: VET f/lap 1:38.649
GRO pits – rejoins P9
HAM down the inside of BOT to take P10

[Half distance]

29: VET has a 9.1sec lead over DIR
MAS pits

30/57: VET, DIR, RAI, WEB, BUT, PER, ROS, GRO, HAM, ALO
PER attacking BUT – PER hits BUT’s rear right – idiot!
Radio from BUT – informs team PER hit him – “calm him down!”

31: ROS closing on PER

32: DIR 14.4sec behind VET
PER attacking BUT again

33: GRO and ROS now attacking PER
PER and GRO side by side – almost contact
GRO touches rear of PER – takes P6

34: RAI attacking DIR for P2
ROS pits
GRO past BUT too – takes P5
RAI takes P2

35/57: RAI pits, as does BUT
VET told he can “drop lap time; plenty quick enough”

36: ROS blasts past MAL for P10
BUT past MAL too
HAM past PER for P5 – another late defence from PER
Radio from PER – “losing power”?

37: DIR pits from P2
RAI f/lap 1:38.591
MAS pits – rear tyre gone again – replay shows sidewall and main carcass separated coming out of Turn 14

38: WEB pits
ROS f/lap 1:38.296
RAI past PER for P4

39: HAM pits – rejoins P10
Radio for ALO – “box now, use all KERS”

40/57: VET, GRO, RAI, PER, ALO, DIR, WEB, BUT, ROS, HAM; retirements: VER
Incident involving cars 2 and 9 (WEB and ROS) under investigation (re: contact as WEB left pits)
ALO and PER pit

42: Track temperature as the sun sets
ALO f/lap 1:37.204
HUL pits

43: VET pits from P1 – with a 26.9sec lead, this’ll be an easy stop
GRO pits from P2 – rejoins alongside BUT – moves ahead to take P5
Incident involving cars 2 and 9 (WEB and ROS) will be investigated after the race

44: GRO down the inside of WEB – takes P4
ROS takes P6 from BUT
PER attacking HAM

45/57: VET, RAI, DIR, GRO, WEB, BUT, HAM, PER, ALO, ROS
HAM down the inside of BUT to take P6
SUT f/lap 1:37.070

46: ALO closing on PER despite not having DRS
PER past his teammate for P7
ALO past BUT too

47: BUT pits – stop #4!
ALO alongside PER into Turn 1; moves up to P7

48: Radio from DIR, frustrated by back markers
Birthday boy CHI pits

49: MAL past MAS for P11
HAM closing on WEB for P5

50/57: VET, RAI, DIR, GRO, WEB, HAM, ALO, PER, ROS, BUT
GRO closing on DIR

51: WEB slow through Turn 1 – HAM takes P5

52: Incident involving car 21 (VDG) under investigation – unsafe release
GRO steals P3 from DIR

53: HAM has to defend but WEB goes round the outside and takes P5
Incident involving car 21 (VDG) will be investigated after the race

54: PER threatening to attack ALO
PER forces ALO wide onto the sandy apron
PER takes P7 from the DRS-less ALO

55/57: VET, RAI, GRO, DIR, WEB, HAM, PER, ALO, ROS, BUT
HAM harrying WEB for P5

56: VET f/lap 1:36.961
HAM still attacking WEB
WEB slides the tail a little coming out of Turn 1

57 = final lap: Radio for VET telling him to “stay under control”; “understood”
HAM down the inside of WEB to take P5
PER past WEB too

VET takes the chequered flag
RAI over the line in P2
Lotus take P2 and P3

Provisional result: VET, RAI, GRO, DIR, HAM, PER, WEB, ALO, ROS, BUT; MAL, HUL, SUT, BOT, MAS, RIC (+1 lap), PIC, GUT, BIA, CHI, VDG (+2 laps); DNF = VER.

Next race: Spain, May 10-12.