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» F1 is boring? No chance! Brilliant Hamilton holds off Rosberg in race of the century
F1 is boring? No chance! Brilliant Hamilton holds off Rosberg in race of the century
JONATHAN McEVOY IN BAHRAIN: This was the finest drive of Lewis Hamilton's career in the greatest grand prix of the century. It was a privilege to be in Bahrain, where Hamilton and his fellow Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg duelled and duelled again, only inches from perdition at up to 200mph.
- Lewis Hamilton wins in Bahrain after fantastic duel with Nico Rosberg
- Sergio Perez completes the podium with Force India
- Jenson Button retires on his 250th appearance in Formula One
- Action throughout the pack with three-times world champion Niki Lauda lauding it as one of the best races he has ever seen
- Rosberg admits on the podium he 'strongly dislikes' finishing second to Hamilton
This was the finest drive of Lewis Hamilton’s career in the greatest grand prix of the century.
It was a privilege to be in Bahrain, where Hamilton and his fellow Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg duelled and duelled again, only inches from perdition at up to 200mph. The action behind them was hardly less compelling.
The race rather made those who had criticised this year’s brand of Formula One as boring — not least Bernie Ecclestone and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo — look as if they were speaking out of their exhaust pipes.
Triumphant: Lewis Hamilton holds his trophy aloft after victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix
Merc magic: Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg embrace after their one-two finish in Bahrain
Victorious: Hamilton takes the chequered flag after keeping a dogged Rosberg at bay
Domination: Hamilton held off Rosberg, who started on pole, to win the Bahrain Grand Prix
The victor was Hamilton, taking his
second successive win and his 24th in all to equal Juan Manuel Fangio’s
career total. It was a race that all the laws of logic decreed he should
never have won.
He started
second on the grid to Rosberg, having made a slip in qualifying, but
stayed tight around the first corner to take the lead and then held off
Rosberg’s counter-attack on the fourth turn.
Rosberg did not give up. At the start of the 18th and 19th laps he tried to wriggle past Hamilton.
The
lead changed hands, by my estimation, five times. Rosberg said on the
team radio: ‘What he did wasn’t on.’ It was heat-of-the-moment
exasperation rather than a serious complaint.
Take off: The Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton lead the field at the start of the race
Bunch: The field shapes up for Turn 1 of the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir and Hamilton takes the lead
Head-to-head: The fierce battle between Rosberg and Hamilton began at the outset of the race
Fortune
favoured Rosberg when a spectacular shunt brought out the safety car.
Esteban Gutierrez’s Sauber went into a 360 degree somersault when he was
flipped by Pastor Maldonado’s Lotus. The two Mercedes immediately came
in to be reshod. Hamilton had to change to the harder tyre, Rosberg
could use the softer.
The
softer rubber is faster so, once the safety car peeled away with 10 laps
remaining, Rosberg would be able to pass his team-mate from a gap that
had been reduced to virtually nothing by the break in racing.
So
the theory went. ‘I remember our first race in karting,’ said Hamilton
afterwards. ‘Nico was leading all the way and I overtook him on the
last lap. I thought that would happen to me today.’
So
did we all. But, no, Hamilton produced his best ever defensive driving
in repelling the relentless attack from behind. They were crawling over
each other like spiders. Rosberg would get in front but Hamilton — in a
now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t flash — squirmed back ahead.
Neck and neck: Hamilton leads Rosberg as they challenge each other wheel-to-wheel
Watching the front: The Mercedes team watch their cars dominate the Bahrain race
Burn rubber: Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen breaks heavily ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo
Credit
here to Mercedes. Paddy Lowe, in the first serious test of his pit-wall
nerve since taking over as technical director, came on to both men. He
said: ‘This is Paddy.’
That made it clear it was the headmaster speaking and defiance would not be tolerated.
‘With 10 laps to race,’ he added, ‘let’s just make sure we bring both cars home.’
It was not an instruction to hold position, but an appeal for sense.
Credit, too, to both Hamilton and Rosberg for possessing the serenity and skill to follow the appeal meticulously.
The
best drive of Hamilton’s career, we have asserted. A case can be made
for Silverstone in 2008, when he dominated the wet conditions,
Senna-like, to win by more than a minute.
Dig in the ribs: Hamilton and Rosberg exchange playful blows after the race
Come here, you: Fresh from battling on the track the pair went toe-to-toe in parc ferme, too
But
this was purer. Here, he was fighting a driver at the peak of his
career in an equal car on better tyres in a crucial battle in a
formative world championship rivalry.
So intense was the racing that Rosberg got out of his car and rugby tackled Hamilton through sheer adrenaline.
Moments
afterwards, his thoughts calmer, the German admitted: ‘I strongly
dislike losing to Lewis.’ So was this the best of grand prix of the
century?
Hamilton’s title win in 2008 had a single epic moment of drama.
Jenson
Button’s triumph in Canada in 2011 was wet, mad and protracted. Mika
Hakkinen’s victory over Michael Schumacher at Spa in 2000 produced an
overtaking move for the ages.
But has any race contained more wheel-to-wheel action throughout the field? Not that I can recall.
Force
India fought Force India, with Sergio Perez finally winning through to
take third after a joust with Nico Hulkenberg. Red Bull fought Red Bull,
with Daniel Ricciardo passing world champion Sebastian Vettel for
fourth.
Flipped: Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez crashes after being bumped by Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado
T-boned: Pastor Maldonado rams into Estaban Gutierrez on his way out of the pits leading to a spectacular flip
Over and out: Gutierrez's Sauber spins out of control before getting airborne
Lucky escape: Gutierrez goes over before his car comes to a stop of the track leading to a safety car
Podium: Sahara Force India's Sergio Perez celebrates his third place
Team game: Mercedes celebrated their second 1-2 finish in as many races - they lead the constructors' championship
Pure theatre: Rosberg (left) and Hamilton duel for the lead of the Bahrain Grand Prix
Time to celebrate: Hamilton with his winners' trophy
Williams fought Williams, with Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas going at each other hard.
All
this was showcased breathtakingly under a necklace of lights in the
desert. The special bulbs made the car liveries vivid and
high-definition sharp.
Even
the build-up to the race was febrile. Team principals walked in and out
of the adjoining offices of Ecclestone and Jean Todt, the FIA president.
Ferrari
chief Di Montezemolo told a phalanx of TV cameras that the drivers were
being reduced to ‘taxi drivers’ because the new regulations placed an
emphasis on such boring matters as fuel consumption. Ecclestone was in
the same camp, as are Red Bull.
Not
so Todt. Although he confirmed that the sport is looking at ways to
amplify the engine noise in the next few weeks, he favours the new,
greener formula.
As does the McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, who rounded on Vettel’s recent remark that the new turbos sounded ‘s***’.
Dennis, both of whose cars retired with clutch problems, said: ‘Being a world champion requires a dignified approach.
‘Putting aside the language for the moment, the sentiment is inappropriate.’
From rows to racing, it was the Formula One day that had everything under the stars.
Champagne moment: Rosberg covers his team-mate in the fizzy stuff as they celebrate
What drama: The Bahrain Grand Prix was one of the finest Formula One races in recent times
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