Hamilton Wins Bahrain Grand Prix Marred by Major Opening Lap Crash

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

The 2020 Formula 1 season is drawing closer to an end as three races remain in the 17-race schedule hastily compiled as a result to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Bahrain International Circuit is hosting two of the final three events for the year with the first being the annual Bahrain Grand Prix on a 15, turn 5.412-kilometer course. 

Recently locking up enough points in the season-long drivers’ title, Lewis Hamilton arrived in Sakhir as only the second seven-time Formula 1 World Champion. A three-time winner of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton continuing offensive for victories running to the conclusion of the 2020 calendar has him attempting to score a win in the 57-lap night race from the pole.

The start of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix would be routine through the first corners of the first lap as the field diced for positions early but would quickly involve a most frightening scene. During a Formula 1 season that involved a number of red flag incidents, the start of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix featured one of the most alarming moments on track this year.

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Out of turn three, the #8 car of Romain Grosjean maneuvered right in reaction to the calamity ahead of him but was seemingly unaware of the placement of the AlphaTauri race car driven by Daniil Kvyat. Crossing ahead of Kvyat, Grosjean’s right rear tire brushed the front left tire of the AlphaTauri. The contact caused the Haas racing machine to veer right into a violent, fiery crash with the track wall. The impact with the steel barrier caused the #8 Haas VF-20 race car to split in half with the safety cell portion protecting the driver separated from the rear portion containing the power unit. As the rear of the car coasted several meters away before coming to a rest, the front of the vehicle containing the French driver had become tangled into the track’s steel barrier. With the safety cell of his race car in flames, the FIA safety team and nearby track workers rushed to the driver. Fortunately, Romain Grosjean was alert and able to escape quickly from the burning remains of his race car with the aid of members of the safety crew. Grosjean would be treated in a hospital for burns suffered to both hands and remained in the medical care overnight as a precaution.  

A red flag period lasting more nearly an hour and a half was needed to recover the components of the crashed Haas Formula 1 car and for track workers to replace the section of track barrier. When the race restarted from a standing start for lap three with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen leading the field, the quest for a full green lap in the Bahrain Grand Prix would have to wait as a result of a turn eight accident. 

Battling from a 13th place starting spot, Canadian driver Lance Stroll would have his race literally turned upside down. Entering the eighth corner in 12th place, Stroll was under attack from the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat made a late move on the #18 Racing Point into lower portion of the turn. The sudden, poorly-timed passing attempt surprised Stroll as the AlphaTauri race car’s left front tire brushed the Racing Point RP20's right rear launching him into a half roll. Upside down, Stroll was able to promptly climb from his vehicle unhurt as a safety car would be called so track marshals could retrieve race car. Daniil Kvyat would receive a 10-second penalty after being judged at-fault for the incident and would finish the Bahrain Grand Prix in 11th place. Kevin Magnussen would also incur minor damage catching debris from the flipped Racing Point car but would continue. 

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/ LAT Images/Pirelli

During the safety car period, the Mercedes-AMG race car of Valtteri Bottas pitted after suffering a tire puncture. Starting the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix alongside teammate Lewis Hamilton, Bottas, had a disastrous launch from his grid position falling to as low as sixth place in the first several corners before the red flag. The Finnish driver resumed the race in the fourth spot for lap three but the unscheduled tire stop on lap four dropped him deep into the running order. After fighting his way into the points, Valtteri Bottas completed the 57-lap race in 8th place. 

When the safety car returned to the pit lane, Lewis Hamilton charged away to a comfortable yet not massive lead. Through much of the event, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing vehicle was several seconds behind the #44 Mercedes-AMG race car but managed a very strong pace throughout the event. Verstappen was roughly five seconds behind Hamilton on lap 46 just before the Red Bull driver pitted for medium compound Pirelli tires in order to post the fastest lap of the race. 

Photo Credit: Andy Hone/LAT Images/Pirelli

Heading into the final four laps of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the top three runners appeared to have established a steady gap and pace to carry them through to the finish. Running approximately 18 seconds behind the Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance race car of Lewis Hamilton in the running order was Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing RB16 who maintaining a sizable interval over Sergio Perez. The sole Racing Point runner through much of the race, Perez was on the verge of celebrating his second consecutive Formula 1 podium. Though the Mexican drove a fantastic grand prix, his Racing Point’s Mercedes-Benz power unit picked the most inopportune time to fail this season. Puffs of smoke from the back of the pink #11 race car would intensify and was soon accompanied by flames. The Racing Point came to a full stop on track with three laps remaining ending Perez’s strong outing and the pursuit for valuable constructors’ points as the team is locked in a tight battle for third in the season’s standings. After the race, Racing Point revealed the cost of the podium finish was specifically attributed to an MKU-K issue.

With the final laps taking place behind the safety car, Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team took the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. Claiming his 95th Formula 1 victory, Hamilton described the victory as a hand-fought affair despite leading from flag-to-flag. “Max pushed me all the way and he had a lot of speed today. I was struggling a little bit with the car sliding around, but I just had enough to be able to respond to Max’s quick laps when it mattered.” said Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes-AMG team’s post-race press release. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion was also thoughtful of the incident at the start of the grand prix grateful that Romain Grosjean left the serious crash without serious or life-threatening injuries crediting the FIA medical team as well as the Halo bar installed on all Formula 1 cars since 2018. 

Photo Credit: Andy Hone/LAT Images/Pirelli

While Sergio Perez and Racing Point lost their place on the podium with the late retirement at the Bahrain International Circuit, the Red Bull Racing celebrated the accomplishment of their first double podium finish since the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix. Finishing second, Max Verstappen successfully scored the point for setting the fastest lap in the grand prix with a 1-minute, 32.014-second lap time. Finishing third, Alexander Albon ran a consistent race en route to his second Formula 1 podium result. 

After team benefiting from the Racing Point’s scoreless outing was the McLaren Racing squad. Both McLaren drivers enjoyed a productive 57 laps at the Bahrain International Circuit improving from their grid positions to register just outside of the podium. Starting ninth, Lando Norris crossed the finish line in fourth place while Carlos Sainz Jr. climbed from a 15th grid position to finish fifth. The effort for the McLaren team resulted in 22 points towards the constructors’ championship giving themselves a 17-point lead for third-place in the team standings. 

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Image/Pirelli

Finishing sixth in the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly would last pit on lap 25 and made his AlphaTauri’s medium compound tires last through the final 32 laps. Behind Gasly, the Renault team cars sandwiched Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes-AMG race machine. Daniel Ricciardo crossed the line in seventh place while his French teammate Esteban Ocon finished ninth. The final point-paying spot in the Bahrain Grand Prix was captured by the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. 

The penultimate round of the 2020 Formula 1 season will feature a second race in Bahrain taking place in the same motorsport complex on a 3.543-kilometer layout called the Outer Circuit. The Sakhir Grand Prix will set for December 6th.

2020 Formula 1
Bahrain Grand Prix
Race Results

Newly-Minted 2020 F1 Champion Hamilton Takes Bahrain Grand Prix Pole

 

LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

After four events held on race tracks that were originally unplanned for the 2020 Formula 1 season prior to this year, the series’ trip to the Bahrain International Circuit served as a familiar venue for the majority of drivers and teams. Arriving for the Bahrain Grand Prix, another element of commonality of recent seasons has again been solidified. Thanks to a steady year capped with an impressive victory at the last race in Turkey, Lewis Hamilton has locked up his sixth Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship in the last seven years. With three races remaining for the 2020 season, Hamilton and his Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (who had already locked the year’s Constructors’ Championship title) are again at the top of the motorsport world but is unwilling to rest on their laurels. 

Setting fastest laps in the first two practice sessions on Friday, Lewis Hamilton remained focused to add to his growing list of career achievements in the Persian Gulf-based country. Ahead of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton began to face a strengthened opposition as Max Verstappen and the Red Bull Racing team stepped up their effort to be quickest after the third and final practice.

Photo Credit: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

As daylight escaped the Bahrain International Circuit leaving the 5.412-kilometer race track illuminated by lights, Saturday’s qualifying shaping the field for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix commenced with far less drama than the rainy last outing in Istanbul. Only one red flag appeared over the course of the three time trial sessions occurring when the McLaren race car of Carlos Sainz Jr. stopped on track during Q2. Detailed as a braking system issue by McLaren’s Team Principal Andreas Seidl, Sainz will start Sunday’s race in 15th place.

Taking fastest times through all three sessions of qualifying, Lewis Hamilton stormed to one of his most convincing pole position efforts yet in his Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance race car. The British driver’s 98th career Formula 1 pole and 10th this season, Hamilton’s top spot at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix came after setting a time of 1-minute, 27.264 seconds in Q3. “No matter what has been thrown at us this year we’ve risen to it. For me it’s important to use these final three more races to learn as much as possible and carry that on into next year.” Commented Lewis Hamilton in a post-race news release from his team.

A little under three-tenths of a second slower than his Mercedes-AMG teammate, Valtteri Bottas provided a vital ingredient in cementing a statement of dominance for the German-based organization in qualifying. Starting 1-2 once again in the 2020 season for Sunday`s Bahrain Grand Prix, the Mercedes-AMG team has recovered one race after its streak of successful pole runs was ended in Turkish Grand Prix qualifying by Mercedes-Benz customer team Racing Point.

LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Falling short of his performance in Saturday practice, Max Verstappen remained tight with the pace of the Mercedes-AMG team cars. The Honda-powered Red Bull RB16 driven by the Dutch pilot recorded a 1-minute, 27.678-second lap time that was just 0.125 seconds slower than Valtteri Bottas. Verstappen’s start from the second row for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix will feature the company of teammate Alexander Albon. Albon’s strong pace in the timed session came roughly 24 hours after the Thai driver suffered a major crash in a practice. In the second practice on Friday, Albon collided with the track barrier after running wide in the track’s final corner.

Fresh off a second-place finish in Istanbul, Racing Point’s Sergio Perez recorded the fifth-fastest time in the final session of qualifying at the Bahrain International Circuit starting well ahead teammate Lance Stroll. Finishing the Q1 session with the second-fastest time, Stroll’s effort setting a top lap time in Q2 was complicated by the red flag as well as being equipped with used medium compound tires. The Canadian Racing Point driver will start 13th for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.

The two Renault race cars finished qualifying very close together separated by Q3 lap times just 0.002 seconds apart. Australian Daniel Ricciardo edged out teammate Esteban Ocon for the sixth place starting spot. Sunday’s 57-lap event will feature an all-French fourth row as the AlphaTauri race car driven by Pierre Gasly will start alongside seventh place Ocon. Behind the two Frenchmen, Lando Norris will start the Bahrain Grand Prix in ninth place while the second AlphaTauri racer Daniil Kvyat will roll off from tenth place.

Set for a 5:10 P.M. local time in the hot desert, the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix will take place at 9:10 A.M. Eastern time. 

2020 Formula 1
Bahrain Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Two Races, Two Wins For Rosberg In 2016 With Bahrain Grand Prix Victory

The 1st of a 21-race long 2016 Formula 1 season calender, last month's Australian Grand Prix provided the initial event for revised vehicles, new driver pairing and updated rules. Following the opening round, the pace of the Mercedes AMG seemed to remain a constant for the third year of the row. While the team appears to maintain its dominance, we're noticing a changing of the guard has been underway deciding the lead archer in the Silver Arrows organization.

Since clinching the world championship last season at the United States Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has been consistently upstaged by teammate Nico Rosberg. Sweeping the final three races of the 2015 season, Rosberg started 2016 off by racing the win down-under. Arriving at the 13-turn, 5.412-kilometer Bahrain International Circuit, a track where Hamilton had won the previous two races, the three-time world champion was looking to cool the fires behind his German teammate. Taking the pole in qualifying, the second race of the season provided Lewis Hamilton the chance to equal himself with Rosberg at the start of this young season.

Before he lights went out to initiate the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, two former Formula 1 World Championships running as regulars on this year's tour were not part of the starting grid. McLaren's Fernando Alonso was forced to the sidelines of this weekend's race due to medical concerns existing from his frightening crash in the Grand Prix of Australia. Substituting for the Spaniard driver in the Honda powered McLaren race car was Stoffel Vandoorne. Additionally, just minutes before the race's start, Sebastian Vettel's chance at a podium went up with smoke. On the warm-up lap, the Ferrari of Vettel suffered a terminal engine issue leaving the third-place starting car unable to contend. Sebastian Vettel was joined by Renault's Jolyon Palmer who was also unable complete a lap on Sunday. Vettel and Alonso combined to post five wins of the previous nine grand prix races in Bahrain.

With two Mercedes AMG race cars sitting on the front row, the five lights at ahead of the start/finish line turned off unleashed the field for 57 laps around the Bahrain International Circuit in a dusk race that transitions rapidly into night time. For a second straight race, Lewis Hamilton failed to launch at the beginning of the race. The so-so start for the pole-sitting Mercedes AMG car was compounded when Valtteri Bottas' Williams-Mercedes (having launched from 6th place into the top-three ahead of the first corner) made contact with Hamilton. While the impact between the two cars left no race-ending damage for either machine, Lewis Hamilton did ultimately fall to seventh place by the first lap. Falling the incident, the Formula 1 stewards issued a penalty to Valtteri Bottas for avoidable contact on lap 9.

Contrary to his teammate's lousy start, Nico Rosberg pulled out to a comfortable lead early in the Bahrain Grand Prix. By the race's 5th lap, Rosberg held a six-second lead over the second place car of Felipe Massa. The second place position in the event was deputed after some early pit stops. The sole remaining Scuderia Ferrari entrant driven by Kimi Raikkonen would pass Massa's Williams-Mercedes car and the Red Bull-TAG Heuer vehicle of Daniel Ricciardo. Felipe Massa would drop out of podium contention early foiling the second best chance for the Williams Martini Racing to grab an early top-3 in the opening of the 2016 season.

Surprising the Formula 1 world two weeks earlier by claiming points in the debut race for the Haas F1 Team, Romain Grosjean continued to show strength at Bahrain. For a brief period of time, Grosjean took the Ferrari-powered race car to the fourth place position. In just the second race of the 2016 Formula 1 season, the parity of vehicles in the middle of the field have revealed a wide-open competition among the established and new team structures.

Having fallen into the middle of the field after starting the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix at the front, Lewis Hamilton spent the first-half of the event reclaiming ground. The #44 Mercedes AMG of Hamilton climbed to third place but was unable to catch the second place Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen. In post-race, Hamilton described the fight back up the field as 'damage limitation'.

Taking full advantage of what the beginning of the 57-lap main event gave him, Nico Rosberg maintained a near flawless form to claim the 2016 Grand Prix of Bahrain. Crossing the line 10.282 seconds ahead the runner-up, Rosberg's took his 16th career Formula 1 victory and extends his streak of wins to five.

Largely mirroring the performance of the lead Mercedes AMG car of Nico Rosberg, Kimi Raikkonen finished a strong second place. Raikkonen's runner-up equals his 2015 result at the same race. For Ferrari, the Bahrain Grand Prix was practically a visa versa affair compared to the first race in Australia. At Albert Park, Raikkonen was sidelined by an engine problem while Vettel scored a podium result. The Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen ended up in a Mercedes AMG sandwich as Lewis Hamilton crossed the line to secure the third and final podium position.

Outside of the top-three, Daniel Ricciardo continues to show flashes of Red Bull Racing's championship-winning determination. Daniil Kvyat in the second Red Bull Racing also provided the team something worth begging about climbing from a 15th starting spot to finish 7th after 57 laps. The Toro Rosso car of Max Verstappen finished one spot ahead of the team's 2014 graduate driver.

In two Formula 1 races, Haas F1 Team has accomplished what was thought to be the impossible. At the hands of French driver Romain Grosjean, the Ferrari-powered VF-16 chassis fielded by the American team has two point-scoring finishes. In Bahrain, Grosjean actually improved on his result in Australia by finishing fifth.

Eighth and ninth place at the end of the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix belonged to the Williams Martini Racing team. Felipe Massa led the squad as Bottas grabbed the second-to-last point-scoring position after accruing a penalty early in the race. A three-stop strategy was practised by nine of the top-ten finisher in the Bahrain Grand Prix. The exception to the tire plan was Felipe Massa's Williams machine who clocked 27 laps on his final set of tires.

The tenth and final point of the Bahrain Grand Prix was collected after a solid Formula 1 debut effort by Stoffel Vandoorne driving a Honda-powered McLaren. Filling in for the recovering Fernando Alonso, Belgium's Vandoorne joins elite company with the likes of Jacques Villeneuve, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton who have scored points in their first Formula 1 race. The point is also valuable for the McLaren Honda eager to once again stand as a frequent event contender.

The third race in Formula 1 will take the tour to China. The Chinese Grand Prix is set for Sunday April 17th.

2016 Formula 1
Bahrain Grand Prix
Race Results

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine
1 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
4 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG Heuer
5 8 Romain Grosjean Haas F1 Team Ferrari
6 33 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
7 26 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull TAG Heuer
8 19 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes-Benz
9 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
10 47 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren Honda
11 20 Kevin Magnussen Renault Renault
12 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari
13 28 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Mercedes-Benz
14 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
15 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
16 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
17 98 Rio Haryanto Manor Mercedes-Benz
18 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
19 9 Esteban Gutierrez Haas F1 Team Ferrari
20 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
21 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
22 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault Renault

Vettel's Vigor in Bahrain Results in Victory

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Last year, it wasn't until the sixth race on the Formula 1 grand prix calendar until a constructor repeated. It took eight race in 2012 before a Fernando Alonso became the first winner of more than one event. This year's Formula 1 contest has already started with three distant winners. Kimi Raikkonen with Lotus F1 Team, Sebastian Vettel with Red Bull Racing and more recently the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso had stood at the top of a 2013 grand prix race podium. Heading into the fourth race of the 2013 Formula 1 season at the Bahrain International Circuit, the question would stand if this year would establish a similar pattern.

Taking his first pole of 2013, German Mercedes-AMG driver Nico Rosberg posted a 1-minute, 32.330-second time on Saturday for the top spot for the 57-lap Bahrain Grand Prix. A second straight pole position for the Mercedes-AMG race team, 2013 has yet to result in a victory for Rosberg or new teammate Lewis Hamilton despite some strong runs. On the starting grid for the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg was joined by the Red Bull-Renault of Sebastian Vettel. Row two of the starting line-up saw the Ferrari F138 race cars paired with Fernando Alonso claiming an edge over Felipe Massa in qualifying.

Under warm, sunny conditions, the lights went out to signify the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix commenced. On the opening lap, a three-car incident sustained damage quickly in the early grand prix race. Valtteri Bottas' Williams-Renault, the Caterham-Renault of Giedo Van de Garde and the Jean-Eric Vergne driving a Toro Rosso-Ferrari were involved in a turn-four tangle. Scuderia Toro Rosso's driver Vergne would be the only competitor encountering difficulty preventing him from completing the grand prix.



Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Immediately into the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel became working over the pole-winning Mercedes for the lead. When the DRS system was enabled on the third lap, Vettel was able to push his Red Bull-Renault passed Nico Rosberg. When Rosberg fell to second, the Mercedes fell pray to the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso.

On lap five, Alonso took the second spot in the race but soon encountered issues. In a bizarre incident, the DRS rear wing device remained open past the activation zone on lap 7. Stuck open, the Ferrari needed to pit the following lap to have the flap reset. The problem occurred once more on the following lap requiring Fernando Alonso to once again pit. Based on the lost time in the pits and the malfunctioning DRS wing

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Sebastian Vettel becomes the first multiple winner of the 2013 Formula 1 tour. Defending his 2012 victory on the Middle East race track, Vettel's 28th Formula 1 victory has permitted the three-time and reigning German driver to grab a 10-point advantage in the Driver's Standings.

In second and third place, the Lotus-Renault runners Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean accomplish a feat last performed at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2012. Collecting significant points for the Lotus F1 Team, is elevated to second place in the constructors' championship over Ferrari.


2013 Formula 1
Bahrain Grand Prix
Race Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
2	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Lotus	Renault
3	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault
4	14	Paul di Resta	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
5	10	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
6	6	Sergio Perez	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
7	2	Mark Webber	Red Bull	Renault
8	3	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
9	9	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
10	5	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
11	16	Pastor Maldonado	Williams F1	Renault
12	11	Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	Ferrari
13	15	Adrian Sutil	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
14	17	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
15	4	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Ferrari
16	19	Daniel Ricciardo	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
17	20	Charles Pic	Caterham	Renault
18	12	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
19	22	Jules Bianchi	Marussia	Cosworth
20	23	Max Chilton	Marussia	Cosworth
21	21	Giedo van der Garde	Caterham	Renault
22	18	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari