Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel made it back-to-back wins as Red Bull had a shocker, while Toro Rosso starred; Motorsport Week reflects on some of the Bahrain Grand Prix's key talking points.
Vettel’s drive close to perfect…
Sebastian Vettel’s victory in Australia was fortuitous, but in Bahrain his measured drive was close to perfect, as he managed an unexpected one-stop strategy to deliver back-to-back wins. Vettel’s switch to a one-stop approach required some delicate driving on Softs, and once he hit the cliff, it brought Medium-shod Valtteri Bottas firmly into contention. Vettel, though, hit every apex as required, and judged his lines perfectly to cross the line seven-tenths clear. “When they told me the pace of Valtteri at that time, there was no way I could do that,” said Vettel. “I was making the maths inside the car with 10 laps to go, at that pace, he’s going to catch me! I tried to keep it as clean as possible. It worked. Just!” It was, undoubtedly, one of Vettel’s greatest drivers.
…but Mercedes must rue another missed chance
A miscalculation cost Mercedes in Australia and it missed out once again in Bahrain. Mercedes’ struggles with overheating rear tyres through practice on the Supersoft compound compromised its one-lap pace, and Lewis Hamilton was already competing with one hand tied behind his back as a result of his gearbox penalty. Hamilton had the pace, once in free air, to compete, but the time lost on an understandably cautious first lap – thinking of the wider picture of a title fight – proved too great to overcome. Bottas, meanwhile, did well to clear Kimi Raikkonen, and his use of Mediums brought him onto Vettel’s rear, but the half-hearted attempt into Turn 1 on the last lap was perplexing, as it denied him a potential slingshot on the run to Turn 4, after which his hopes were gone. He was facing an uphill challenge – and it was far from an open door – but it again raised questions over his fortitude in wheel-to-wheel combat.
Red Bull, Verstappen, squander opportunity
Red Bull suffered its first double retirement since Korea 2010, and while Daniel Ricciardo’s early exit was pure misfortune – an electrical shutdown robbing him of a podium push – Max Verstappen’s retirement was entirely avoidable. Verstappen, off the back of a scruffy showing in Australia and crash in Q1, surged forward at the start and challenged Hamilton into Turn 1. Verstappen’s pass was incisive, but edging Hamilton wide as they rounded the turn was unnecessary – and it was the Dutchman who paid the price, copping a puncture that led to race-ending damage. Verstappen’s brass earned him legions of fans, and such an approach is required as an underdog – as in Mexico last year, where he survived light contact at the start while battling with title challengers. In the context of a championship battle – of which Verstappen expects to be a part – discretion is the better part of valour. Bahrain should be a lesson.
Toro Rosso, Gasly, deliver on pre-season potential
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Toro Rosso caught the eye during pre-season testing with its pace and reliability, but neither was in evidence in Australia, amid driver mistakes and an engine setback. Considering the history of both team and engine supplier, it was easy to suggest testing had been a false dawn – but in fact it was Australia that proved misleading. Pierre Gasly was superb all weekend in Bahrain and grasped every opportunity that came his way to collect a stunning fourth position, as he simply pulled clear of his opponents, bolstered by the upgraded STR13 performing strongly at the circuit. The latter is particularly encouraging, with both chassis and engine updates paying dividends – which has not always been the case in previous years. Brendon Hartley did not receive the updates until Saturday and was therefore playing catch-up, failing to match Gasly, his prospects accentuated by crucial race mistakes, but any disappointment Toro Rosso felt was tempered by its unexpected fourth place.
Magnussen leads Haas charge once more
Haas proved that its stellar Australia pace was not an anomaly – at least in the hands of Kevin Magnussen. The Dane once again led Haas’ charge, with team-mate Romain Grosjean compromised by a scruffy qualifying effort and bargeboard damage in the race. Magnussen barged wheels with Nico Hulkenberg on the opening lap and had some angst while battling his off-strategy team-mate, but went on to match the result earned by Grosjean at the same venue two years previously. Magnussen has so far emerged as the rounded driver touted by McLaren several years ago, boosted by the family atmosphere at Haas – and the obvious pace of the VF-18. Grosjean needs to up his game.
McLaren on the back foot
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McLaren proclaimed its desire to hone in on Formula 1’s top three teams but in Bahrain it was towards the back of the midfield, its embarrassment accentuated twofold: the fact it happened in front of their major shareholders, and the pace displayed by the Honda-powered Toro Rosso operation. Both drivers proved their mettle in race trim, with Fernando Alonso’s typically feisty first lap boosting his race result, while Stoffel Vandoorne put in a stellar (albeit largely unseen) recovery drive to eighth, after tumbling to last due to a woeful getaway. One-lap pace remains a concern, with the MCL33 lacking traction and straight-line speed in Bahrain. It is an area the squad must improve if it is to realise its goal of leading the midfield group, let alone hunt down the top three.
Ericsson reminds world of his ability
Marcus Ericsson has often been maligned as solely a pay driver, but in Bahrain he demonstrated the progress he has been at pains to emphasise he has made in recent years. Ericsson was error-prone and off the pace during his Caterham year and early months with Sauber, but had the edge over Felipe Nasr in 2016 and was a close match for Pascal Wehrlein last year; however, his team-mates caught the breaks, and Ericsson’s reputation stagnated, accentuated by Sauber’s back-of-the-grid status and his weight disadvantage. In Bahrain, he was the only non-podium finisher to execute a one-stop strategy and his mature display netted him ninth, ending a barren run that stretched back to Monza 2015. Ericsson has flourished into a genuine midfield contender, a testament to the work and self-improvement he has undertaken in recent months and years.
Williams endures one of its worst weekends
Williams finished the race as comfortably the final classified runners, had the slowest car over one-lap, and is the only team without a point in 2018. This is, sadly, one of the lowest ebbs in the history of a once great operation. Lance Stroll was blunt in his assessment of where the FW41 needs to improve – pretty much everywhere – but was happier with his race performance. That it was good enough only for 16th (before the application of penalties elsewhere) was a damning indictment of the team’s current level. Sergey Sirotkin, meanwhile, was primarily aiming to finish, in order to gather knowledge and experience after his abortive race in Australia. Williams went radical with its new car but has so far traded fifth for last and needs to unlock its potential soon to avoid a bad start turning into a season-long struggle.
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