[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_GWdS5RP0Q&spfreload=10[/youtube]
After the the firework show that we saw last year, how could this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix compare? Well, it was another race under the lights with plenty of action on the track, and a tad bit of off track rumblings. With only a week between this and the Chinese Grand Prix, Formula One didn’t have time to change too much. The promise of a turned up Honda engine seemed to be pushed off. Renault still has no solution for their piston issue which has blown so very many of their engines. No new parts were coming in, and it looked to be an evolution of the last race, rather than a radical revolution in the running order.

Once again at the front it was the battle between the Mercedes duo and the Scuderia twins. After trading top times in the practice sessions, it was Lewis Hamilton once again taking pole, but Sebastian Vettel took a blistering lap to spilt the two Mercs. The Mercedes, Ferrari, Mercedes, Ferrari grid order made the start electric. After Massa stalling on the grid, and being held longer than normal before the lights, Kimi got a great start, and managed to leap Rosberg. Now the race at the front was mostly based on strategy rather than raw pace. Sparks were flying all over, however, as the new Titanium skid plates were in full effect in the darkness of Bahrain.
The highlights of the race were of course the dual between the leading cars, but also the mid field lighting up once again. The lone McLaren of Fernando Alonso, the only Honda powered car racing after Jenson Button failed to start, was actually fast enough to fight all the way up to eleventh by the end of the race, including running in the points a few times. Personally, my highlight of the race was watching Rosberg and Vettel spark along the main straight fighting one another for position. Of course, the driver of the race was one Kimi Räikkönen, who managed to finish second after starting in fourth. Some of this was due to the issues his teammate had throughout the race, including a broken nose cone, and a few unforced errors.
This was a race that wasn’t as explosive at the front as last year, but had plenty of action throughout. Moments of drama for the two Mercedes Silver Arrows at the end, however, as they both lost their brake by wire systems with a lap and a half to go. This is what let Kimi get by Nico, and almost lost Hamilton the race.
Bahrain once again proved to be a great race, even if it is in a horrible country. But, we can only hope this race continues to provide great action, and becomes a modern classic of a circuit. Next time out though, we go to Spain to see a really classic race at the circuit de Catalunya. This week was more of a brief rundown rather than a full report, but next week I will catch you dear readers up on everything major happening in the wonderful world of F1. For now, I leave you with the greatest image the race had to offer us.