British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton took home the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy on Sunday with a clear win, helping him ensure his lead with 92 points in the Formula 1 World Championship standings.
Unlike last year’s event in Bahrain, where he raced against his German Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, in a wheel-to-wheel battle, this year, Hamilton maintained control and a clear lead throughout the race. Rosberg, on the other hand, found himself struggling with his breaks during the race, which eventually faded on the second-last lap. This gave Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen—regarded as one of Hamilton’s biggest threats—a chance to overtake him in the last minute and win second place with Rosberg coming in third.
Mercedes made set-up changes to its cars after the first day of practice in an effort to improve tire usage and compete with Ferrari’s long-run pace, but due to time limitations, it did not have the chance to check if those changes would work under race conditions. The risk, however, paid off and allowed Hamilton to have full control of the Sakhir circuit from the moment he took off from pole position.
Hamilton is no stranger to the podium, his performance in Bahrain marks his third win of 2015, having already dominated the races in China and Australia.
The Formula One circuit will continue in Spain next month where everyone will be watching to see whether Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, in particular, will keep this momentum going.
—Natalie Theodosi
