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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
 
Massa
 

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.

 
Bottas
 

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.

 
Massa
 

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.

 
Bottas
 

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.

 
Massa
 
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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Bahrain GP: Williams Martini come away with more points
Discussion started by Williams F1 , 07/04/2014 10:06
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