Bahrain GP: Williams Martini come away with more points
By Andrew Hooper
April 7 2014
The results of the 2014 Bahrain GP would see Williams Martini drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas finish in 7th & 8th. Another encouraging points scoring result for the team in a race that saw both drivers run up at the front, even if they were hampered by excessive tyre wear during the race.
Bahrain GP Race Review
For the Williams
Martini team the fifty seven lap 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix would see the team
faced with the sight of its cars starting the race from third and seventh,
with Valtteri Bottas leading team-mate Felipe Massa. It was a strong showing
for the team that put them in position to look at another points scoring
finish. On pole for the race was Rosberg followed by Hamilton and Valtteri.
Ricciardo had qualified third but received a ten place grid penalty for a
penalty received in regard to the Malaysian Grand Prix. Fourth was Perez
followed by Raikkonen, Button, Felipe, Magnussen, Alonso, with Vettel moving
up to tenth. The top ten would all be starting on the soft tyre and as the
sun started to set the cars would form up on the grid with the track lights
on for this night race. It was announced that the Ferrari team had replaced
the turbocharger and MGU-H unit on Raikkonen's car with no penalty.
On the grid Vettel would start on the medium tyre with Sutil being the only
driver running on this tyre. Those drivers outside the top ten would start
on new soft tyres while the top nine were all on used soft tyres. The grid
would move off on its parade lap with Rosberg leading. Perez would be slow
getting away as the field went around to complete the lap. They would form
up and the lights would go out and it would be Rosberg leading from Hamilton
but Hamilton would snatch the lead. For Williams Felipe was now in third
followed by Perez, Button, and Valtteri sixth. A poor start from Valtteri as
Hamilton led from Rosberg. Hulkenberg was challenging Alonso who was in
seventh. Vergne would pit after lap one after having made contact with
Maldonado.
Vettel was in
tenth followed by Magnussen and Ricciardo. DRS was now enabled with Hamilton
leading by 1.0 seconds with Felipe running very much by himself at this
stage. Button was in sixth while at the front the Mercedes cars were running
at least seven tenths faster than those following. Felipe was now 2.7
seconds behind Rosberg as Hulkenberg passed Alonso for seventh. Alonso and
Raikkonen were running eighth and ninth as Felipe continued to drop away
from Rosberg. Perez was close behind the Williams with Valtteri 1.5 seconds
behind the Force India car. Sutil would pit taking on the soft tyre on lap
nine as we now had both Williams cars coming under attack from the cars
following. Button would pass Valtteri using his DRS at Turn one. Hulkenberg
would also get past Valtteri as well seeing Valtteri now seventh. Felipe was
still running third as Valtteri pitted on lap eleven. He was followed in by
Kvyat and Bianchi. Valtteri was now down in sixteenth as Ricciardo
challenged eleventh placed Magnussen. He would finally get past seeing the
Red Bull cars ninth and tenth.
Perez was now right with Felipe and would get past the Williams to take
third. Felipe would try and run with the Force India locking up several
times. Alonso would pit on lap nineteen returning in fifteen. Valtteri was
now thirteenth with the pit stops in front of him. Sutil would retire on the
track as Felipe and Raikkonen both pitted on lap fourteen. Sutil had made
contact with Bianchi at Turn one as Grosjean pitted from thirteenth. Vettel
was in sixth and said that his DRS was not working. Felipe would make slow
stop losing a place to Valtteri. Magnussen would pit from tenth on lap
fifteen with Hulkenberg also pitting on lap sixteen. Kobayashi was also in
with Valtteri and Felipe now running in seventh and eighth. lap seventeen
and Perez and Vettel would pit. Hulkenberg was now ninth with Perez now
tenth. Maldonado was running in eighth but yet to pit.
At the front
Rosberg would pass Hamilton at Turn one but Hamilton would fight back
retaking the lead. Ricciardo was now third followed by Valtteri and Felipe
in fourth and fifth. Button had pitted as Rosberg again passed Hamilton at
Turn one. But Hamilton would regain the lead as Ricciardo pitted from third
taking on the medium tyre. Hamilton would pit on lap twenty again coming out
on the soft tyre. Rosberg was told to push hard as Maldonado pitted.
Hulkenberg and Perez were running together in fifth and sixth with Valtteri
now third and Felipe fourth. Vettel was down in tenth while at the front
Rosberg was leading Hamilton by 19.9 seconds. Button would pass Raikkonen
for eighth place as Rosberg was told to pit. Rosberg would pit taking on the
medium tyre as Hamilton went past taking the lead back. Felipe was now
putting Valtteri under pressure with Hulkenberg 1.5 seconds behind Felipe.
But the Force India would close seeing fourth through to sixth running close
together.
Vettel was still looking to pass ninth place Raikkonen. He would do so as
the Williams pair were now running very close together. Hulkenberg was right
behind Felipe as Valtteri asked if he could pit. On lap twenty six he would
pit allowing Felipe to move into third. But Perez would pass Hulkenberg
moving up to fourth as Magnussen pitted on lap twenty seven. Felipe would
open up a bit of a gap to Perez with Valtteri now eleventh. Raikkonen and
Ricciardo were ninth and tenth as Button reported that his DRS was not
working. Felipe continued to run in front of Perez and he would get past
with Hulkenberg following past the Williams. Felipe would pit on lap twenty
nine followed by Alonso. Grosjean would also come in from twelfth with
Valtteri and Felipe now ninth and tenth. Valtteri was now right behind
Ricciardo but he would go off at Turn one but would continue. Valtteri had
passed Ricciardo but nearly ran into the back of Raikkonen. But Valtteri
would get past the Ferrari with Ricciardo and Valtteri eighth and ninth.
Felipe was now tenth and would pass Raikkonen for ninth.
Raikkonen would
pit from tenth on lap thirty four as Valtteri passed Ricciardo using his DRS
at Turn one. Perez would pit from fourth on lap thirty five followed in by
Vettel. Felipe would pass Ricciardo at Turn one as Perez come back out
behind Alonso. Third and fourth, Hulkenberg and Button, would pit on lap
thirty six with both drivers taking on the medium tyre. Ricciardo would also
come in with it now becoming clear that the Force India cars were two
stopping. Hamilton was now leading Rosberg by 9.5 seconds with Valtteri now
third and Felipe fourth. Perez was 3.0 seconds behind Felipe with Hulkenberg
1.2 seconds behind Perez. Felipe would pit on lap thirty nine taking on the
medium tyre with Perez now moving up to fourth. Felipe was now in tenth as
Button challenged sixth placed Alonso. Gutierrez and Maldonado would make
contact at Turn one with the Sauber badly damaged.
Valtteri would pit from fifth as the Safety Car was deployed. Replays showed
Maldonado hitting the Sauber with the car rolling in the air thankfully
landing on the ground the right way up. Both Mercedes cars would pit with
Maldonado also coming in. Alonso and Raikkonen would also pit from sixth and
eleventh. Felipe as now eighth and Valtteri ninth as Magnussen stopped his
car to retire. Hamilton was now on the medium tyre and Rosberg the soft with
Perez third and Hulkenberg fourth. Valtteri was now also on the medium tyre
with the order now Hamilton from Rosberg, Perez, Hulkenberg, Button, Vettel,
Ricciardo, Felipe, Valtteri, and Alonso tenth. Lapped cars were now able to
pass the Safety Car seeing a delay before the restart of the race. Hamilton
and Rosberg weer told to make sure that both Mercedes cars make it home. The
Maldonado and Gutierrez accident was under investigation.
The race would restart with
Hamilton leading from Rosberg as Hulkenberg tried to pass Perez. Vettel
would pass Button for fifth with Ricciardo also coming through. Felipe would
pass Button for seventh with Valtteri also coming past the McLaren for
eighth. Maldonado would get a ten second stop and go penalty with Vettel and
Ricciardo fifth and sixth. DRS was now enabled with Felipe and Valtteri
seventh and eighth. Ricciardo would pass Vettel at Turn one and start to
close in onto Hulkenberg. Alonso would pass Button for ninth at Turn one.
Vettel would try and pass Ricciardo but just couldn't make it. At the front
Rosberg would try to pass Hamilton at Turn one with the pair fighting close
together. Perez was in a clear third followed by Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, and
Vettel. Ricciardo was able to pass Hulkenberg for fourth at Turn eleven.
Hamilton would extend his lead out to a second as Button was seen running
slowly pitting to retire.
The final lap would start with Hamilton lading from Rosberg and Perez.
Valtteri was now looking to pass Felipe while Ricciardo was in fourth
followed by Hulkenberg and Vettel. Hamilton would cross the line to win from
Rosberg and Perez, with Ricciardo close behind. Hulkenberg was fifth
followed by Vettel, Felipe, Valtteri, Alonso and Raikkonen. A race that saw
many positives from both Williams drivers, especially the great start from
Felipe, and another points scoring result for the team in only the third
race of the season.
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