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Hello and welcome to ESPNF1's coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the third round of the 2014 season. It's the first night race of the season, and the first to be held in Sakhir, and there is plenty at stake under the lights. The drivers depart for the formation lap. Nearly a calamity for Sergio Perez as he fails to get away but he eventually gets going, and is able to take fourth back again as he has not been passed by the last car. ---- Barring any collision or issues for either driver, this one will surely be a race between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton out in front. Behind them, Williams and Force India will sense the opportunity for their first podium finishes of the season, while Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull will also all fancy their chances. The temperature is cooler than it usually is in Sakhir so degradation should not be an issue, but it creates a host of other issues. Low brake temperatures will be an issue, and we have seen plenty of lock ups at Turn 10 in practice and qualifying so far. Expect crosswinds to be a problem as well. But this morning there's a bit of an elephant in the room, and it was brought in by Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo - who has said the sport faces a decline if it does not do something to change regulations this year. Read the full article here, and expect this one to rumble on all year. Today is the 900th world championship grand prix, and remarkably 250 of them have involved Jenson Button - who becomes the fifth driver to reach that incredible milestone.
ESPNF1's 'one to watch' for this grand prix was Nico Hulkenberg, but he was comprehensively outqualified by team-mate Sergio Perez after an error at Turn 11 during Q2. Today is a huge opportunity for Force India, can they claim their first podium since 2009?
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Lap 1 |
Lights out! Hamilton gets the jump on Rosberg at the start and holds him off at Turn 4 and they come so close to touching. Massa jumps ahead of Perez and Bottas, who has dropped down to sixth. Vergne has a rear puncture and will surely need to pit. Alonso has jumped to seventh and Raikkonen has dropped to ninth, contrasting fortunes for the Ferraris! |
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Lap 2 |
Vergne does make it to the pits. It's the reverse of Malaysia as Hulkenberg gets all over the back of Alonso. Vergne in the pits complaints that one of the Lotus drivers was "absolutely mental". |
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Lap 3 |
Hamilton sets the fastest lap and already has set a fastest lap of 1:40.928. Bottas gets by Button and into fifth, but its Massa who perhaps had the best start of the lot as he is currently leading the battle for third. Vettel, by the way, up to tenth and has started on the prime tyre. |
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Lap 4 |
Super start from Massa watching it again - he just powers between Bottas and Perez. Huge lock up into Turn 1 from Perez but it all gets a bit tasty out in front. Rosberg forces Hamilton as wide as possible but to no avail, and they were so, so close to touching into Turn 4 but Hamilton kept his composure. |
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Lap 5 |
Rosberg sets a fastest lap, but then Hamilton does the very next lap. The two Mercedes are absolutely flying out in front as expected. Alonso gets past Alonso on the start/finish straight - it all looked so easy there. Alonso complains he did not have the power to keep him behind. Hulkenberg has gone from 11th to seventh in just four laps. |
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Lap 6 |
Rosberg told he is saving fuel better than Hamilton, who is also told to look after his left front. Perez is within DRS range of Massa but can't get close enough. Vettel has been quiet but he's just 0.8s behind Raikkonen. Rosberg has switched to a two-stop strategy, and is told he needs to go longer in this stint. |
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Lap 7 |
Hamilton has just more fuel than Rosberg but only marginally. Maldonado sweeps past Gutierrez for 14th on the run down to Turn 1. |
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Lap 8 |
Massa now 7.6s behind Hamilton. We have the prospect of the two Mercedes drivers being on different strategies, as we know now Rosberg is planning to go longer in this stint. Ricciardo is right up behind Magnussen but can't seem to get close enough to make the pass. |
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Lap 9 |
Vettel gets within DRS of Raikkonen and has a sniff into the first corner but there is nothing there. Ricciardo goes down the inside of Magnussen but runs it wide and finds himself having to defend from Kvyat. The young Russian tries it down the inside but Ricciardo just holds on to his position. |
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Lap 10 |
Button passes Bottas into Turn 1 and he makes it stick. Bottas then comes under pressure from Hulkenberg, and watches the Force India dart down on the inside of him at Turn 4. Not the best lap from the Finn. |
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Lap 11 |
Bottas dives into the pits, as does Kvyat. Bottas gets a new set of soft tyres and rejoins ahead of Ericsson in 19th. Hulkenberg is closing the gap on Button, the Force India looks supremely fast this weekend. Ricciardo is back behind Magnussen, whose rear tyres are shot and he runs well wide and allows the Australian past. |
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Lap 12 |
Great racing from Perez as he muscles his way past Massa at Turn 4. Massa doesn't want to give the place up lying and fights back but only locks up on the inside, which will have done his tyres no favours. Perez stays in front and now we'll see just whether Force India can make it stick. Ericsson and Chilton pit for new softs.
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Lap 13 |
Alonso comes in, but is nowhere near to rejoining close to Bottas - who comes flying past the pit lane with plenty to spare. Alonso has a job on his hands to get back up the field now. Still no stop from Vettel yet, who is on the medium tyre. |
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Lap 14 |
Sutil's weekend gets a little worse as he pulls off by the first corner. It looks like he goes some contact from Bianchi while trying to pass the Marussia, which left both cars with a puncture. Vettel is up to sixth after Raikkonen's pit stop and complains his DRS is no longer working. His team-mate, whose DRS is working, is just three tenths behind his gearbox. |
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Lap 15 |
Massa has rejoined behind Bottas. That will bring back bad memories of Malaysia. The stewards are looking at the collision between Sutil and Bianchi. Vettel is really holding up his team-mate but I doubt there is anyone at Red Bull brave enough to tell Vettel to move over..... Ricciardo complains "we are losing time like this,", and immediately Vettel is told "Daniel is faster than you", and obliges. Somewhere Mark Webber has a huge smile on his face, I imagine. |
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Lap 16 |
Hulkenberg pits and rejoins behind Raikkonen, but just barely. Not ideal for Hulkenberg but he gets past Raikkonen at the back end of the circuit and then takes Kvyat in the first DRS zone. He dispatched those quick enough.
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Lap 17 |
Raikkonen set on lap 15, a 1:40.145. Still just less than a second between Hamilton and Rosberg out in front. Vettel comes in to the pits, as does Perez from P3 and he rejoins behind Hulkenberg! Phenomenal turnaround for Hulkenberg, who in effect is now running third. |
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Lap 18 |
Rosberg passes Hamilton into Turn 1 but Hamilton claims it right back by swinging back on the inside! No repeat of their first lap incident at Turn 4 as Hamilton gets clear. These two are clearly free to race and Rosberg at the moment is making the most of those DRS zones. Rosberg complains that "was not on" from Hamilton. Very aggressive from Hamilton but he was perfectly entitled to do that. Button comes into the pits for fresh tyres. |
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Lap 19 |
Rosberg goes inside at Turn 1 and this time makes it stick, but Hamilton battles back at Turn 4 and they are wheel to wheel and Hamilton regains the lead back again!!! Sensational driving from Hamilton, he is refusing to lie down. The Mercedes pit wall must be going absolutely loopy. |
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Lap 20 |
Hamilton dives into the pits. That's why he was so determined to get back in front of Rosberg and this is the most important outlap of the season so far. The pit stop goes fine for Hamilton and he's back out on track, and he is told "push hard for two laps" before the switch to prime tyres later on. Hulkenberg and Perez both pass Alonso in quick succession. Bottas is now sitting in third so the strategy at Williams is currently working, but the Force India's are baring down on them. |
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Lap 21 |
Button passes Raikkonen into Turn 1 and makes it stick nice and easily. Sutil retires after that earlier puncture. Hamilton is absolutely flying.
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Lap 22 |
Rosberg rejoins behind Hamilton but on mediums. Mercedes has split the strategy. Massa is putting Bottas under a lot of pressure. I confused myself earlier and said Hulkenberg was effectively running third. He's currently fifth and Force India now need to take the fight to Williams. |
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Lap 23 |
For a track that is notorious for not being the most exciting race on the calendar, this has been a superb opening 23 laps. Barely anything between the two Williams and Force India's drivers. Vettel nearly clatters into Raikkonen in the battle for 9th but can't get close enough. |
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Lap 24 |
Massa tells his pit wall that Bottas his losing his rear tyres. He is basically saying "let me through", as he has two rather quick Force India's closing in on him. More head scratching at Williams over those pesky team orders now, I'd imagine....
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Lap 25 |
Hulkenberg is just about within range of Massa. Vettel squeezes past Raikkonen into the final corner and up ahead of them Massa sneaks past Bottas at Turn 1. I'd imagine the Finn is about to be devoured by those Force Indias behind him. You have to think Williams should have moved Bottas over much earlier. Bottas wants to box this lap and he does. |
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Lap 26 |
Hulkenberg and Perez waiting behind Massa but he looks like a sitting duck. He forces Hulkenberg wide at Turn 4 and that opens the gap for Perez to get past Hulkenberg! The Force India drivers nearly collide but Perez makes it stick. Thrilling racing. |
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Lap 27 |
Hulkenberg complains Perez "pushed me right off". This is turning out to be the season of unhappy team-mates. Ricciardo trying it on with Raikkonen at Turn 1 but can't make it stick. He's also on the medium tyre, while Raikkonen is on the soft. Button becomes the second driver to report his DRS is not working. Out in front Hamilton is growing a gap but it's only seven seconds at the moment. On the soft tyres I would have expected that to be a little greater by now. |
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Lap 28 |
It's all kicking off again as Ricciardo tries it down the inside of Raikkonen but fails to make it stick again, up ahead Perez dives down the inside of Massa into Turn 4 and Massa is a sitting duck for Hulkenberg who gets past before the DRS zone. Hulkenberg doesn't have a great exit to the corner though, but shuts the door on Massa. Supremely exciting race so far in Sakhir. |
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Lap 29 |
Nhloti Mackaukau says:"This is epic racing. GO GO GO F1" You're not wrong. Seeing that replay again, Ricciardo was very lucky not to collect Raikkonen into Turn 1 but he is just not close enough to get the pass. He's still all over the back of the Ferrari. |
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Lap 30 |
Massa, Grosjean and Alonso all pit. So that's a three-stop strategy from Massa. |
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Lap 31 |
Bottas has got himself right behind Ricciardo and gets past him at the Turn 1 but has to bail out over the run off area, he went in to deep and did very well not to collect the back of Raikkonen. He's still on track and still a few tenths behind Ricciardo. Bottas gets on the radio and says "what was he doing" and Williams say they will take it straight to Charlie Whiting. |
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Lap 32 |
Hamilton nearly eight seconds ahead. Rosberg has been told the pace difference between soft and medium is not as big as thought, so this one could all be moving into Hamilton's hands a bit. Ricciardo finally gets past Raikkonen and now Bottas is all over the back of his fellow Finn but can't get past into Turn 10. Bottas makes the DRS zone work and this time powers past the Ferrari. That puts him eighth. |
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Lap 33 |
Look below to see how close Bottas got to collecting Raikkonen. He is now all over Ricciardo. Massa passes former Ferrari team-mate Raikkonen into ninth.
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Lap 34 |
Bottas makes light work of Ricciardo into Turn 1, and the Australian will see the looming white spectre of Massa gaining on him as well. On their current strategy, it's too close to call between Williams and Force India. |
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Lap 35 |
Hamilton's gap is currently 8.4s and he is told fuel-saving is not an issue. He replies "I heard you man, I'm just saving my tyres!" That's the response of a man completely in the zone. Massa is currently the fastest man on track and passes the Ricciardo, and behind them Perez re-joins behind both the Williams drivers! |
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Lap 36 |
Perez makes light work of Alonso out of the first DRS zone. He is now gaining on Ricciardo and will no doubt be looking at those Williams' further ahead. Hulkenberg rejoins well behind Perez, as we see Ericsson pulling to a stop off the track. |
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Lap 37 |
Vettel passes Maldonado into Turn 10 and it seems he has DRS working now. Nice to see a Lotus mixing it with Red Bull after their season so far. |
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Lap 38 |
Phil says: "The engines may not sound good but I love being able to hear the tyres squeal as they pull away from the pits" Ricciardo makes it stick as he passes Raikkonen into Turn 4. This has been a race to forget for Ferrari, it's definitely back to the drawing board for them. Hulkenberg sets a fastest lap, a 1:38.785. He's three seconds behind Perez and a further two seconds off Massa. |
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Lap 39 |
The Force Indias are absolutely flying. Ricciardo is now up to P11 after sweeping past Magnussen. Massa pulls into the pits for his third stop of the day. I think the Force Indias are in a race for third here if they are just two-stopping....
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Lap 40 |
Perez has three podiums to his name, Hulkenberg has none. It will be a fascinating race between those two if it comes down to that. At this rate I think Bottas and Massa will be battling each other again, and we all know how that one could end. |
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Lap 41 |
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Lap 42 |
This is terrible news for Hamilton, all that work he did on the faster tyres has just been completely undone. |
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Lap 43 |
At least now we know each car will be flat out to the finish. Not that that hasn't been an issue today though!!! |
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Lap 44 |
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Lap 45 |
Hamilton is on mediums, Rosberg is on softs. Earlier Rosberg was told the difference in pace on either tyre wasn't as big as Mercedes thought. The unlapped cars have already been let past the safety car so this should be the last lap behind the car, you would think. |
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Lap 46 |
Paddy Lowe comes on the radio and asks Hamilton to "just make sure we bring the cars home". Not sure if that's a team order but Mercedes clearly knows Hamilton has no chance of keeping Rosberg behind him. He sends the same message to Rosberg. Very interesting. Safety car in this lap. Brace yourselves. |
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Lap 47 |
Hamilton leads into Turn 1 but behind him Hulkenberg passes Perez. The Mercedes' are wheel to wheel and Hamilton squeezes Rosberg right over and isn't giving him an inch! Vettel takes Button for fifth, and then Ricciardo sweeps past him as well. The mediums are struggling here. The Mercedes cars are already miles in front. Ten second stop/go penalty for Maldonado. |
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Lap 48 |
Perez got past Hulkenberg somewhere in that last lap. Button is going backwards as both Williams cars pass him. Hamilton complains he has no power! He's still in front but for how long? What a thrilling end we have in store. |
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Lap 49 |
Gap between Hamilton and Rosberg has increased but Rosberg is just within DRS. There's an almighty queue of cars behind Button as the Ferraris sniff an opportunity as well. I tell you what, behind the Force Indias Vettel and Ricciardo are absolutely flying. DRS is now enabled. Mercedes are already six seconds ahead of their nearest rivals. Phenomenal. |
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Lap 50 |
Fastest lap from Rosberg. Ricciardo takes Vettel into Turn 1!!! Ricciardo defends into Turn 4 but they are nearly touching. Super driving from the Australian and it looks like, for now, he's made it stick. What a statement from Ricciardo. |
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Lap 51 |
Vettel complains he is really slow down the straights and he has the ominous sight of two Williams cars behind him. Ricciardo might just within range of Hulkenberg now. At the moment Perez just needs to bring the car home for a podium as he's nearly one-and-a-half seconds ahead of his team-mate. Vettel is refusing to give up on Ricciardo. |
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Lap 52 |
Rosberg goes into the first corner ahead of Hamilton but his team-mate gets back in front. Hamilton forces Rosberg off the track at Turn 4 and Hamilton keeps the lead! Incredible. What on earth must be going on at the Mercedes pit wall!!!? |
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Lap 53 |
Rosberg goes for it down the inside but he outbrakes himself! Hamilton reclaims the lead. It looks like Hamilton moved over and invited Rosberg to go down there. I'd say Rosberg needs to pass Hamilton somewhere other than Turn 1. |
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Lap 54 |
This time Rosberg is too far back to make a move into Turn 1. Ricciardo has got past Hulkenberg! Red Bull has come alive right at the end of this race with a bit of heat in those tyres. Perez might just be a bit too far away for Ricciardo but what a sensational drive from him. Hamilton is opening up a gap - has Rosberg given up the chase? |
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Lap 55 |
This race has been utterly ridiculous. And it's exactly what F1 needed. And guess what? It still isn't over yet. Ricciardo is closing on Perez but not enough, according to Perez's pit wall. Bottas is right behind Massa. Hamilton is now a second clear of Rosberg. Button is going slowly - he lets a car past and seems to pick up the pace again. |
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Lap 56 |
Massa takes Vettel into Turn 4 after being forced really wide but Vettel takes the position straight back from him. I don't think all four wheels came off the race track for Massa. Button pulls into the pits and retires, his first retirement since Brazil 2012. |
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Lap 57 |
Hamilton begins his final lap, a whole second clear of Rosberg, who appears to be holding station now. Perez is on the verge of Force India's first podium since 2009 but Ricciardo is just a second now. Bottas having a go at Massa but can't find a gap. This is all allowing Vettel to peel away in sixth. Hamilton takes the flag ahead of Rosberg. Ricciardo is all over the back of Perez but the Force India just holds on to take the podium!!! One more lap and that podium would have belonged to Ricciardo. What a spectacle that was. Utterly compelling racing throughout - what a way to mark F1's 900th race. |
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Hamilton gets told "you had us all going there for a bit" by his race engineer and he thanks the team for their efforts. Rosberg jokingly (I think) tackles Hamilton as they get out of the cars in parc ferme but it seems in good nature! They must have had an absolute whale of a time out in front. Props to Rosberg for not doing anything stupid. Hamilton and Rosberg smile and joke and they share a hug. Rosberg looks gutted but not angry with Hamilton, they are clearly delighted with that race. Rosberg probably hates being second but he looks perfectly happy to have been part of the race. That, more than anything, is really great to see. Two racing drivers happy to have been allowed to go racing. Perez is going absolutely loopy in his Force India for claiming third. Great achievement for the team. Even Hulkenberg went across the line waving his arms in the air like a mad man. Niki Lauda says "anyone who complains that this is boring is an idiot." Well said Niki.
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Gutierrez and Maldonado have come together at Turn 1. Maldonado gets away but Gutierrez's race is well over, we could have a safety car here.... Thankfully Gutierrez looks to be unhurt.
Wow. Maldonado came out of the pits and hit Gutierrez, who spins in the air and is incredible lucky to land on his wheels. The Mercedes both pit and the safety car is coming out.
