Formula 1 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix: statistical preview. Seb tried an ultra-aggressive strategy.

Formula One now heads to the desert of Bahrain for the second race of the 2018 World Championship. But what did we learn from Australia then? Well first, Mercedes appears to have the quickest car on outright pace but, once again, it’s a car that struggles to follow in dirty air. Last season, Mercedes admitted that its car was designed to be at the front of the pack, but when things go wrong, this does not particularly help Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas climb through the pack.

In fact, Hamilton actually admitted that he made the conscious decision to go against his instincts and back off near the end of Australia, opting to save his engine from overheating and living to fight another day.

Scuderia Ferrari isn’t far off, and Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen is a lot happier with the car than he has been for a few years, despite the fact that Sebastian Vettel was the one spraying champagne on the top step of the podium after the race. It was the Finn who showed stronger until the virtual safety car diminished both his and Hamilton’s chances of victory.

Key Stats

Circuit Name: Bahrain International Circuit

Laps: 57

Circuit Length: 3.36 miles

Race Distance: 191.531 miles

Fastest Race Lap: 1:31.447 (Pedro de la Rosa 2005)

2017 Pole Time: 1:28.769 (Valtteri Bottas)

What happened in 2017?

Valtteri Bottas took a career-first pole position in just his third race for the Mercedes team and had the lead right up until a collision between the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz and the Williams of Lance Stroll brought out the safety car. Scuderia Ferrari had pitted Sebastian Vettel from second place just a few laps earlier, trying an ultra-aggressive strategy, and the safety car saw the German jump Bottas.

Lewis Hamilton had received a five-second time penalty for blocking and slowing Ricciardo on pit entry during the safety car period and, so that the team could ensure that he didn’t fall behind Raikkonen because of this, Bottas was instructed to let Hamilton past. Now in clear air, Hamilton could stretch the legs of his Mercedes and came home in a comfortable second behind Sebastian.