The Bahrain Grand Prix witnessed a strategic masterclass from Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel, who capitalized on Mercedes’ miscalculated three-stop strategy to clinch a dominant victory. Despite the ambient heat intensifying the challenge, Vettel’s Ferrari demonstrated superior tire management, allowing him to execute a two-stop strategy and seize the lead. Mercedes, initially appearing strong, found themselves on the defensive as their tire degradation proved to be a critical weakness in the scorching conditions.
The race unfolded with Mercedes locking themselves into an early three-stop approach, a decision that ultimately handed the advantage to Vettel. The German driver expertly managed his tires, enabling him to extend his stints and minimize time lost in the pits. This strategic flexibility contrasted sharply with Mercedes’ rigid plan, leaving them struggling to respond as Vettel built a commanding lead.
Adding to Ferrari’s triumph, Kimi Räikkönen delivered a remarkable recovery drive. Despite an early setback with a first-lap puncture caused by contact with Felipe Nasr, Räikkönen showcased the pace and resilience of the Ferrari. He battled back through the field, executing two standard pit stops to secure a strong fourth-place finish. Räikkönen’s performance underscored the formidable strength of Ferrari in the Bahrain heat and track temperatures.
Meanwhile, Williams experienced a tense internal team battle. Valtteri Bottas, recovering from a first-lap incident with Pastor Maldonado, fiercely challenged his teammate Felipe Massa. In a dramatic climax to their duel, Bottas overtook Massa on lap 55 of 56, demonstrating the competitive spirit within the Williams team.
Rookie sensation Max Verstappen delivered a historic performance, securing seventh place and becoming the youngest driver ever to score World Championship points at the age of 17. Driving for Toro Rosso, Verstappen consistently ran within the points contention, ultimately finishing as the last driver on the lead lap. His teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. further celebrated Toro Rosso’s strong showing by finishing closely behind in eighth.
Red Bull endured a challenging race. Daniil Kvyat, despite being spun by Nico Hulkenberg of Force India at Turn 2, managed to salvage a ninth-place finish after a hard-fought contest with teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo himself suffered front wing damage on the first lap, compromising his race.
Lotus’s Romain Grosjean also faced adversity when Sergio Perez of Force India spun him during an overtaking attempt mid-race. Grosjean recovered to finish 11th, ahead of Felipe Nasr, who struggled throughout the afternoon with his Sauber and could not replicate his impressive Australian Grand Prix debut.
The Force India drivers, Perez and Hulkenberg, crossed the finish line closely behind each other, separated by a mere four-tenths of a second. Both drivers, however, received 10-second penalties for their respective incidents earlier in the race.
Roberto Merhi in the Marussia was the final classified finisher, three laps down. His teammate Will Stevens was unable to start the race due to unresolved fuel system issues from Saturday.
McLaren’s woes continued, with Jenson Button experiencing power loss just as he surprisingly found himself gaining ground on the cars ahead. Fernando Alonso’s McLaren also encountered a technical problem, further compounding the team’s difficult weekend. Marcus Ericsson was the race’s first retirement, unable to restart his Sauber after a spin.
Vettel’s victory marked Ferrari’s first win since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix and Vettel’s first since the Brazilian Grand Prix of the same year. This win significantly closed the gap in the drivers’ championship standings, bringing Vettel within three points of Hamilton. After two races, Hamilton led with 43 points, followed by Vettel with 40 and Rosberg with 33.
Despite Mercedes’ strategic setback in this race, they maintained a comfortable lead in the constructors’ championship, holding 76 points compared to Ferrari’s 52 and Williams’ 30. The Bahrain Grand Prix highlighted the strategic complexities of Formula 1 and Ferrari’s resurgence as a competitive force, while also subtly showcasing the visually appealing F1 Mercedes Livery 2015 as part of the overall spectacle of the season.
