Vettel holds off Bottas to win fascinating Bahrain Grand Prix

Despite his rapidly disintegrating tyres, Sebastian Vettel kept Valtteri Bottas at bay to triumph at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Published : Apr 08, 2018 22:33 IST

Vettel's victory in his 200th race start means Ferrari have won the opening two races of an F1 season for the first time since Michael Schumacher did so in 2004.
Vettel's victory in his 200th race start means Ferrari have won the opening two races of an F1 season for the first time since Michael Schumacher did so in 2004.
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Vettel's victory in his 200th race start means Ferrari have won the opening two races of an F1 season for the first time since Michael Schumacher did so in 2004.

Sebastian Vettel clung on for his second victory of the season in an enthralling Bahrain Grand Prix, but celebrations will be tempered by an injury to a Ferrari mechanic.

A botched Kimi Raikkonen pit stop saw the Finn released too early, his left-rear wheel striking the leg of the mechanic, who was immediately taken to hospital.

The incident occurred as Ferrari pondered how best to cope with Mercedes' one-stop strategy, with Silver Arrows pair Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton switching to the medium compound after seeing Vettel and Raikkonen given the shorter-life soft tyre.

Raikkonen’s second stop - which led to his retirement from the race - indicated Ferrari were perhaps moving to a split strategy, with Vettel being left to manage his tyres to the end of the race.

Second-placed Bottas started to rapidly close the gap on Vettel after lap 50 as his tyres came into their own against the leader's swiftly wearing set, but he ultimately fell just short - beaten in the end by less than a second.

"These tyres were done for the last 10 laps," said Vettel after taking the checkered flag.

Hamilton, who had started ninth thanks to a grid penalty, came home in third after both Red Bulls retired early in the race, while Pierre Gasly claimed a remarkable fourth-place finish in the Honda-powered Toro Rosso. 

Vettel's victory in his 200th race start means Ferrari have won the opening two races of an F1 season for the first time since Michael Schumacher did so in 2004.

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