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Its race number 4 of the Formula 1 season and we are here at Bahrain. Unrest and violence over the rulers of the country saw 2011 race being postponed and eventually cancelled. With protests and disruptions making the situation tense, F1 authorities (read: Supremo Bernie Ecclestone) took a heavy footed decision to go ahead with the race.
Although entertaining to drive, featuring Tilke’s trademark long straights followed by tight corners (most notably the first corner), the track is often criticized for not punishing drivers who stray off track. Its large run-off areas mean it is one of the safest circuits in the world. Fernando Alonso has happy memories attached to this circuit as he is the only driver to win it twice. It was here in 2012 that the newly christened Lotus finished with both its drivers on the podium. It was Raikkonen’s first podium finish after making his comeback to F1 and also teammate Grosjean’s first ever podium. Vettel, meanwhile, had set his eyes on the championship by emerging as the winner.
With the issues of team orders being settled, the Chinese GP of last weekend was an exciting race. As tyre dominated strategies shape the 2013 season, Bahrain is expected to be yet another thriller. With temperatures going up to 45°C, it is physically grueling for both the driver and the car to complete 57 laps. The track itself is known for high tyre-wear. The raging bulls haven’t had a start they would be wishing for, with team orders like ‘multi-21’ making things worse for the team. Questions have been raised on Team Manager Horner’s control over the team and this race provides the opportunity for RBR to shift the focus to winning, rather than being criticized for the controversies.
In earlier outings this year, Mercedes have shown sparks of brilliance in qualifying sessions but clearly lack tyre management to go all the way to victory. Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg need to buckle up and come up with the best in them if they are to be seen on podium more often. The long lasting rubber of Lotus and its sheer pace makes Kimi a strong contender for this year’s race. The Ferraris also pose a formidable challenge with Massa always hanging in and Alonso’s ability to win with a less capable car. Undoubtedly, the most struggling team of the year, McLaren needs to pull off something incredible if they are to be anywhere close to championship contention. Clear sky throughout the weekend would mean that there is one less thing to worry about for the teams.
Qualifying report
Q1 (17-22 eliminated):
Hamilton had a nightmare just one hour before the qualifying as he suffered a left-rear failure of tyre which damaged its suspension. Pit lane opened for start of the session and Gutierrez pulled out first, followed by Sutil, Chilton and rest of the 19 drivers. The GPS of Massa’s Ferrari broke down meaning that the team could not follow the Brazilian around the track. Lotus and Red Bull looked promising with Vettel and Webber slotting a P1 on consecutive laps. Fernando Alonso had a dramatic spin as he hit the throttle on the exit of the left-hand kink at Turn Two, ending up in a shallow gravel trap. He managed to recover and continue the session. Kimi Raikkonen also had a moment at Turn 1 as he runs it wide and off the track. After a couple of rounds on hard tyres, drivers bolted on mediums and the times started dropping significantly. Alonso clocked the fastest time of Q1 on a hard tyre setup, an astonishing sight for many. Ricciardo managed to pull out of the drop zone which meant Maldonado will be out in yet another Q1. Bottas, however, managed to hang in with P15. The session ended with dramatic scenes in Marussia’s pit as Jules Bianchi’s car caught flash fire.
Left out of Q1: Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Charles Pic (Caterham), Jules Bianchi (Marussia), Van der Garde (Caterham), Max Chilton (Marussia),
Q2 (11-16 eliminated):
Red Bulls were out early in this session, closely followed by Kimi. Paul di Resta was the new pace-setter. Using a new set of medium tyres, he clocked a 1:33.335 to edge Vettel by a tenth. Massa and Hulkenberg had their share of fight, as the Ferrari driver purposely got ahead of the Sauber and blocked him. Rosberg and Grosjean set a time late into the session. Grosjean took seventh and pushed Button into the drop zone with Perez in 12th. Button managed to cross the line just in time to start a flying lap. Di Resta, Sutil and Button managed to edge past Grosjean pushing him out of the top 10. Meanwhile, Vettel was the fastest in Q2 with a 1:32.746. Ricciardo’s good form in qualifying had an abrupt stop as he finished on P13.
Out of top 10: Romain Grosjean (Lotus), Sergio Perez (McLaren), Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso), Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso).
Q3 (Shootout):
The top ten shootout was underway and Di Resta, Hamilton, Rosberg, Alonso were in business right away. A minor error meant Di Resta ended with a 1:33.388 and Rosberg did a 1:32.543. After doing one flying lap, most of the drivers were back in the pits for change of shoes. Webber, Hamilton and Massa headed out on the hard and Alonso on the medium tyres. Raikkonen and Rosberg also out on new sets of medium tyres. It was ‘one lap wins all’ as everyone was out on track. Webber was a bit scrappy and made a mistake in turn eight ending up in P4. Rosberg was faster than Vettel and had provisional pole. Alonso made a mistake on final lap and bailed out. No one else could match Rosberg with Hamilton finishing in P4 and Kimi in P9. Force India’s Di Resta and Sutil managed P6 and P7 respectively.
Top 10 after penalties: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Paul di Resta (Force India), Adrian Sutil (Force India), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Jenson Button (McLaren).
The top 10 had a minor shuffle with penalties being imposed. Lewis Hamilton had a five-place penalty for a gearbox change while Mark Webber has three-place grid penalty for collision with Jean-Eric Vergne in China. Down the line, Gutierrez has five places for a collision with Sutil in China and will start at the back of the pack. Hamilton and Webber will be on P9 and P7. Nico Rosberg secured his second F1 pole and proved yet again that he can match Hamilton’s pace and can give a strong fight for the top slots. Force India had a brilliant session as well. Alonso would be cursing himself for the last lap error although he will be relieved that he is ahead of Massa in P4. Massa will start on a different strategy.
It’s all shaped up nicely for the race tomorrow. You can catch the live action at Bahrain with race scheduled at 17:30 IST.
