For Force India team, Esteban
Ocon came in 14th and magaged one point for his team while Sergio
Perez could only a mange a 15th position and zero points. As for the
Grand Prix, it was closely contested right down to the final corner and the win
came courtesy of a well thought out strategy and the abilities of the driver
who managed to make a set of Soft tyres last 38 laps no less, on a track that
is one of the hardest on tyres.
While Mercedes could go to the
end comfortably, it was more of a stretch for Vettel, allowing Bottas to close
up and create a grandstand finish. Ultimately, Bottas ran out of laps and
Vettel held on to secure his 49th victory in his 200th Grand Prix start.
Hamilton delivered a brilliant
comeback drive from ninth on the grid to complete the podium, but there was
heartbreak for Red Bull as Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen retired for
separate reasons within minutes of the race starting.
It was a disastrous few
moments for Red Bull as Ricciardo pulled off track with a suspected electrical
issue, triggering the virtual safety car.
Vettel took his 49th win in
his 200th Grand Prix start. He’s the fourth driver to win on the milestone,
following Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Vettel’s
winning margin was 0.6s, the closest in Bahrain Grand Prix history
According to an F1 news
report, nobody has won the opening two races of a season and gone on to lose
the championship since 1982 – a potentially good omen for Vettel.
Source: Ferrari / Formula One