Lewis Hamilton Wins the Bahrain GP Ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg to Extend His Lead in Battle for F1 Championship
- Lewis Hamilton extended his lead in the Formula One championship with yet another flawless victory this season
- The British driver secured first place ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg who finished second and third
- Hamilton has now set a personal best record of finishing in the points for 11 consecutive grands prix
- He has 36 career wins, with 21 of those from pole position to open up a 27-point gap over team-mate Rosberg
Daily Mail UK, 19 April 2015
Quote:
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 93
2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 66
3. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 65
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 42
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Fireworks lit up the desert night to celebrate Lewis Hamilton’s dominant win at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Victory continued the world champion’s dominant streak – it was his third win from four starts this season – and extended his lead over Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to 27 points.
Kimi Raikkonen came charging through at the end in his Ferrari, but he could not challenge Hamilton. However, he did reel in Rosberg going into the penultimate lap to finish second, a place ahead of the German.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning the Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg (right)
Kimi Raikkonen, who finished second, applauds Hamilton after the Briton claimed his third victory in four races so far this season
Hamilton extended his lead the Formula One world championship with yet another flawless victory in Bahrain
Quote:
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION: BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:35:05.809
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari +00:03.380
3. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 00:06.033
4. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 00:42.957
5. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 00:43.989
6. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - Renault 01:01.751
7. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Mercedes 01:24.763
8. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1 lap
9. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) RedBull - Renault 1 lap
10. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1 lap
11. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 1 lap
12. Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - Ferrari 1 lap
13. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1 lap
14. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - Ferrari 1 lap
15. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Mercedes 1 lap
16. Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 2 laps
17. Roberto Merhi (Spain) Marussia - Ferrari 3 laps
r. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - Renault 22 laps
r. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - Renault 27 laps
r. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 57 laps
(rank: r = retired, nc = not classified)
Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen,1:36.311, lap 42.
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'The team did an amazing job, Ferrari gave us a run for our money, but we kept the car together and the tyres as healthy as possible to win through,' said Hamilton.
Raikkonen, as deadpan as ever, said: 'You're never happy when you finish second, but after a difficult start to the year I'm a bit pleased to get a result. In the end we ran out of laps, but we have to be happy given where we started (fourth).
'Overall, I'm very happy with the way the team is working, and the atmosphere is good. I'm sure as a team we'll get there all the time fighting for wins.'
It was always going to be hard to match the front-to-back excitement of last year’s race. This edition did not reach those towering standards, but there were still plenty of thrills during the 57 laps under the lights in the tiny Gulf Kingdom.
The race started with a close dance between the leading cars. Rosberg, third on the grid and in desperate need of a spark to light his championship challenge, dived down the right of the straight, was blocked by Vettel, and then overtaken by Raikkonen as the second corner swept round to the left.
But Rosberg harried Raikkonen’s red machine until he made his brave – arguably reckless – move going into the first corner at the start of the fourth lap. It worked, just.
Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene was unimpressed, the Italian mouthing a few words of pure Anglo Saxon.
Hamilton, meanwhile, was running serenely at the front. Rosberg was on charge. He got close to Vettel when the German ran wide. Then Rosberg made his charge. It was a fine move, with both cars sparking in the dark. Rosberg held Vettel off and powered through.
He was now running second behind Hamilton, who was in clear command.
Hamilton turned in a strong display at the Sakhir International Circuit to win in Bahrain for the second consecutive year
Hamilton leads the early phase of the grand prix from the Ferrari pair of Sebastian Vettel, who finished fifth, and Kimi Raikkonen
Next came the opening round of pit stops. Vettel was first in of the front-runners. Rosberg was in next but emerged from the pits behind the man he had just sweated blood passing.
Hamilton was soon in but a slow wheel change delayed him – a mistake for which the team apologised over the radio – as Vettel and Rosberg were flying around. Suddenly, Hamilton’s gap had narrowed to under a second from more than five seconds.
Rosberg then passed Vettel again with another close-your-eyes, hold-on-to-your-hats moves.
Could Rosberg conjure something special and catch Hamilton? No, if the opportunity was ever there, it did not last long. Hamilton was away, Rosberg’s hopes evaporating in an instant.
The next round of stops came along. Vettel was again first in; Rosberg was next in, only to come out behind Vettel again; Rosberg then passed Vettel once more when the Ferrari ran wide.
Hamilton leads the pack on the run down to Turn 1 ahead of Vettel and Rosberg as sparks fly in Bahrain
Hamilton leads the field round on the pardare lap in Bahrain, the fourth round of the championship
Hamilton is now 27 points clear of Mercedes team-mate Rosberg as he bids to win his third championship
But up front now, having stopped only once, was Raikkonen on a different strategy. He would stay out and put in a final burst on the faster soft tyres.
Hamilton, however, passed Raikkonen on the track before the Finn peeled off to the pits. He was left with about 20 seconds to catch up in 17 laps. His deficit was 16.2sec with 15 laps remaining. He was now three seconds quicker than the Mercedes and well on course.
He continued to eat into those in front of him – Hamilton and Rosberg (who finally got his place from a somewhat Vettel when the Ferrari car needed a new nose).
Raikkoken could not catch Hamilton, but Rosberg, suffering brake problems, ran wide and Raikkonen went through for second.
Watching it all from the McLaren hospitality area was Jenson Button. His car, which broke down in qualifying, did not recover in time. A problem with the Engine Recovery System was blamed. It was only the third race of the last 272 staged that the Briton has missed.
He tweeted his thoughts from his chair in the paddock.
Hamilton crosses the start-finish line to win his third race of the season under the lights in Bahrain
The Briton, who now has 36 career wins, celebrates his victory with an air golf swing after leaping out of his Mercedes
Pastor Maldonado and Max Verstappen battle for position with sparks flying off their cars