MOTORSPORT BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX:FORMULA ONE got more than it deserved here yesterday, a most eventful and sometimes thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix which delivered the season's fourth winner in four races for the first time since 1983.
Sebastian Vettel won his first race for six months, which may be a little harsh in view of the fact that there was not much going on in the winter but in doing so he went to the top of the drivers’ championship, where he now leads Lewis Hamilton by four points.
Red Bull also replaced McLaren at the top of the constructors’ race.
It was also an heroic day for Lotus, who achieved two podium finishes in a race for the first time since 1979, with Kimi Raikkonen coming in second ahead of Romain Grosjean.
However, the successes of Red Bull and Lotus were overshadowed by an afternoon of almost theatrical disaster from McLaren. At least we are talking about disaster in a purely sporting context on a weekend when life was lost and the safety of others was feared for.
Hamilton, who has been dogged by ill fortune in all four of his races this season, started on the front row of the grid, Button on the second. But both had their races ruined by events out of their control.
Two shambolic pit-stops and another indifferent one cost Hamilton the best part of 20 seconds and he came home in eighth position.
Button, meanwhile, struggled with the balance of his car from the outset and shortly after making his fourth pit-stop, with a puncture, he was retired from the race.
What is perhaps most disturbing for McLaren is that both drivers struggled for pace all afternoon.
Although four different constructors have won the opening four races McLaren, arguably, have been the most impressive and consistent of the cars this year.
Yet now it may feel as though they must start all over again when racing comes back to life in Barcelona in three weeks.
For the unfortunate left-rear wheel man in the McLaren camp this was an awful weekend since he was responsible for both of Hamilton’s hold-ups.
Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren team principal, said afterwards: “That was the classic bad day at the office. We had two bad pit-stops, we had a puncture caused by an exhaust failure and we were slow.
“That is the summary of it. We were reasonable in terms of pace in qualifying but in the race we certainly weren’t. There is no magic in this sport. We were clearly just too hard on the tyres. The rear tyres were going away really quickly and both drivers really struggled.
“We didn’t have the pace and then a few other things went wrong to make it a really difficult afternoon for everyone.”
Last night, however, the McLaren team rallied round the wheel man at fault for Hamilton’s mishaps.
Whitmarsh said: “Any guy who volunteers to be a gun man in a team is a brave guy. I have been speaking to him just now because I know how hard he is being on himself.
“The first one ‘pegged’, that is when the right pegs don’t find the right holes. The second one was a cross thread which was the same as we had last week, the same axle on the same side.
Hamilton said: “I don’t even know who [the wheel man] is. But I will go and see the guys in a little bit and try to lift them up.
“There’s not much more I can do really. Just try to do my best and keep them positive. Today we really struggled for pace. Sebastian was really pulling away at a good second per lap.
“We struggled with pace and struggled with tyres. We just weren’t quick at all today. I still think we could have got fourth or fifth but to end up eighth with the poor pit-stops was a little bit disappointing but that’s motor racing.”
Button said: “My final stint was a long one and, if I hadn’t struck trouble, I reckon things would have got quite interesting in the final laps.
“But in the last few laps the car sounded really noisy. I think the initial problem was an exhaust failure, then my puncture and then a differential failure; so I had to retire.”
It was like old times as Vettel tore away from his pole position to widen his advantage.
It was an awful start for Button, who slid back from fourth on the grid to sixth but the best getaway was made by Fernando Alonso, who went from ninth to fifth.
McLaren were having problems from an early stage, with both Hamilton and Vettel complaining about their rear tyres.
But things started to get even worse for Hamilton on the ninth lap, when his pit stop cost him 9.9sec as he was passed by Alonso and Mark Webber. He was seen shaking his head as he waited for the signal to go.
And when he eventually left the pit-lane he said: “What happened there, guys?”
Judging by further failings, McLaren did not really know.
Whitmarsh’s Red Bull opposite number Christian Horner said: “It has been a tough weekend for the sport.
“Formula One has received an awful lot of attention and it is very easy to have opinions.
“We focused on the sport. We have come, done our best and won the race we nearly won two years but for a spark plug.
We need to move on now and focus on the next race.”
Guardian Service
TOP THREE FINAL POSITIONS AFTER RACE (57 Laps):
1 S Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1hr 35mins 10.990secs,
2 K Raikkonen (Fin) Lotus F1 Team 1:35:14.323
3 R Grosjean (Swi) Lotus F1 Team
LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS.
1 S Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 53pts
2 L Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 49.0
3 M Webber (Aus) Red Bull 48.0
MANUFACTURERS
1 Red Bull 101pts
2 McLaren 92
3 Lotus F1 Team 57
