Motorsport Week takes a look back at some of the stats and facts from the second round of the 2018 Formula 1 season in Bahrain.
Sebastian Vettel’s victory means he has started the year with back-to-back victories – his first since the end of 2013, and Ferrari’s first since 2010. Not since 1982 has someone achieved the feat and failed to win the World Championship.
Vettel also emerged victorious on his 200th Formula 1 start – matching the feat of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher.
Vettel’s pole position was Ferrari’s first at the circuit since 2007.
For the first time in the hybrid era, Mercedes has failed to take a win from the opening pair of races; its hit rate of one win in five (when the final three events of 2017 are considered) is its worst strike rate since 2013.
Lewis Hamilton’s third place ensured he matched Kimi Raikkonen’s record of scoring points in 27 consecutive races; he last failed to score when his engine failed at Sepang in 2016. Hamilton reached the feat on his 100th race start for Mercedes – and in turn he became the first driver to reach a century of events for two different teams, having entered 110 Grands Prix for McLaren.
Lap two was potentially one of the worst laps in Red Bull’s history – Max Verstappen clashed with Hamilton, sustaining a puncture that led to terminal damage, as Daniel Ricciardo halted due to an electrical shutdown. It meant Red Bull suffered its first double retirement since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix – a race which also had a Ferrari victorious and Hamilton on the podium.
Pierre Gasly’s fourth place marked his first points in Formula 1 – not since Kevin Magnussen in 2014 has a driver scored their maiden points with such a high classification. He also joined Sebastian Vettel, Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. in the ‘Toro Rosso P4’ club – only once has the team finished higher, when Vettel triumphed at Monza 10 years ago. It was also the highest classification for a Honda-powered car since Rubens Barrichello’s Silverstone podium, also 10 years ago.
Haas and Renault both matched their best results – Magnussen’s fifth place mirrored Romain Grosjean’s effort from Bahrain two years ago, while Nico Hulkenberg’s sixth again equalled Renault’s highest classification since the manufacturer’s full-time return in 2016.
McLaren’s failure to top the podium in Bahrain means its victory drought has now reached 100 races – during which period Hamilton, whose last start for McLaren came on the day team-mate Jenson Button triumphed, has won 41 races.
Marcus Ericsson’s ninth place ended a barren run of 50 races for the Swede, stretching back to Monza 2015.
Williams is now the only team yet to score a point this season – never in Formula 1 history has the operation been alone on zero.
Discussion about this post