Bahrain Grand Prix Race BroadcastHello and welcome to coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix live from the Sakhir Desert. In yesterdays qualifying session we saw a Ferrari one two with Fernando Alonso taking pole position ahead of Felipe Massa and no doubt he’ll be looking to become the first driver this season to convert pole into victory. However no doubt the McLarens will want to have a say in that. Anyway all the cars are on the grid and we’re ready for the race start…
And we’re away!
And immediately off the start Montoya gets the jump on his team mate Vettel!
And on Alonso as well! Fantastic start from the Colombian!
But there’s been contact further back with Kubica missing his front wing and what looks like Schumacher without a rear wing!
The replay shows Kubica slamming into the rear of the Williams after someone further back broke a tad too late, they’ll both have to pit.
Meanwhile up front Vettel has had a disastrous start and is now in 6th place!
And that’s Heidfeld pointing the wrong way at turn 4!
Looks as though the German was too ambitious on the brakes and was actually lucky not to roll his car!
And in all that mayhem Davidson has snuck up to 9th from 22nd
But in the far distance he is under pressure from Villeneuve…
And he drops to 10th
Meanwhile right at the back the Arrows are bickering over 15th…
And Zonta gets the better of Glock
But right at the back it appears Da Matta, Kubica, Schumacher and Barrichello were all involved in the incident at turn 1 and now find themselves right at the back…
Fisichella and Heidfeld were also involved, but neither have had to pit early
At the front Webber is trying a move on Alonso…
And he makes it, but Alonso will come back at him…
But now Lotterer is also joining in!
Surely this won’t end well…
And it doesn’t Webber is pushed wide by Alonso!
Which means he also loses out to Vettel
Meanwhile at the back Heidfeld and Fisichella are battling over 17th place and also just for bragging rights…
And Heidfeld slides past the Italian into 17th
But back at the sharp end the other Schumacher is having a gander at Villeneuve’s 9th place
And he makes it comfortably after some side by side action
Vettel is having a go at Alonso…
And he chucks it up the inside of the final corner to take the position, Alonso is looking a little slow today, might he be on a different strategy again…
But even if he is it’s not stopping him coming back at Vettel down the main straight…
And he retakes his position
That does not look good for Barrichello…
And he’s forced to retire with a water leak
Klien’s done well to get up to 11th as he comes up to pass a very brave marshall…
Sato is on the move as he looks to overtake one of the Arrows…
And he makes it
But soon after Zonta is coming back at him
And he retakes the position!
Sato is now just too far behind to have any reply
Webber and Alonso are side by side down the back straight!
But he can’t get past just yet…
But he makes the most of the slipstream…
And he eventually squeezes past in turn 2!
Malaysian Grand Prix winner Raikkonen has been forced to pit early due to a puncture, that’ll put him right down the field…
He’s back out in 18th
Anyway, with ten down let’s have some standings
And that’s Coulthard spinning in turn 1!
And the replay just reminds us that two into one doesn’t go…
Massa is on fire today as he pumps in another fastest lap from the lead
Meanwhile right at the back Da Matta finally has some company as he looks to overtake Fisichella…
And he’s already ahead before they reach the braking zone
The pitstops are now underway as Webber comes in from 4th
He rejoins 11th
And Lotterer is in next time round from 3rd
He’s back out in 6th
Now that’s a fire
And it’s Zonta who is the unfortunate one as an oil leak ends his race
If I’m honest he has parked that it quite a precarious place…
Now Massa is in from the lead…
And that’s Kubica off the road!
And his day has gone from bad to worse as a right rear suspension failure leaves him with no choice but to retire
Meanwhile Massa has rejoined in 5th
Next lap and Montoya is in
And he rejoins in 4th behind Massa
But Lotterer has been pushing since his stop and is alongside Montoya!
And he makes it! That’s a net second place for Lotterer once Alonso pits
But his team mate is in the wall!!!
Raikkonen is out of the grand prix after colliding with Sato on the main straight!
And unfortunately for Heidfeld he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and has lost his front wing on the remains of Raikkonen’s car.
Vettel and Villeneuve are now in the pits
Vettel rejoins in 6th
Whilst Villeneuve is back out in 9th
Meanwhile Heidfeld has finally made it back to the pits for his front wing
Montoya has caught up to Lotterer…
They’re side by side…
And he’s through!
Alonso is finally in the pits for what is looking to be his one and only stop…
Which puts Massa back into the lead…
And Alonso into 6th but as he doesn’t have to stop again he is in a very strong position…
Anyway with all drivers having made at least one stop, let’s have some more standings!
Villeneuve is the first to make a second stop
And he’s back out in 14th
Webber has also been in and is now in 8th place
Now Heidfeld is in trouble!
He to suffers a water leak which cuts short a difficult day for Heidfeld. Sauber are really struggling this year after last season’s heroics…
Montoya and Lotterer are now in the pits, but where is Alonso?
There he is!
And the Spaniard just manages to creep of the pair to make it a net Ferrari 1-2!
Right at the back Da Matta and Schumacher are squabbling over pride…
With Da Matta taking it for now…
Vettel is now in…
And Alonso slides past into second place
And Vettel is back out in 6th
Massa is in…
But his team mate is quite literally on the opposite side of the track…
So unsurprisingly Massa rejoins in the lead, he just has to bring the car home now…
So with just 9 to go, let’s have some standings
And Glock has pulled off the road! He’s parked his Arrows right next to his team mates!
That’s a shame for Glock as he was running in 10th place
Meanwhile at the front Montoya is all over the back of Alonso due to his fresher tyres
But a lap later he is too far behind to take advantage
Massa however is in the final sector…
And Massa wins the Bahrain Grand Prix! A truly dominating performance from the young Brazilian as he takes his maiden victory in Formula One!
Meanwhile Alonso does hold off Montoya to make it a Ferrari 1-2!
And Montoya has to settle for 3rd place
Full results to follow…
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