Alonso dream Ferrari debut wins Bahrain GP

Mar.14 (YF1) Fernando Alonso powered to victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening race of the 2010 season, in what will go down as a dream Ferrari debut.

The Spaniard showed his intent from the moment the lights went out, from the second row on the grid, as he dived into Turn 1 through the inside of team mate Felipe Massa to take second place behind Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Renault) who got a great start from pole position.

Thereafter Vettel took control of the race, with Alonso keeping him in his sights and within pouncing distance.

With 20 laps remaining the Ferrari duo made their move as Alonso and Massa started to up the pace, trading fastest laps. Alonso managing to close the gap dramatically on, early runaway, leader Vettel, who resisted initially.

The pressure from Alonso paid off in a cruel way for the German as the Red Bull lost power and on lap 34 on Turn 23 Alonso took the lead for the first time in his short Ferrari career. Entering parc ferme he promptly jumped onto the front of the F10 pounding his chest Tarzan-style, he was clearly very, very happy.

The meaning of victory did not elude the Spaniard as he spoke after his win, “It is a very special day for me. Coming back to the top of the podium is special but it is even more special with Ferrari, with all the history behind the team and the expectation the driver has. There is no better way to start the relationship. I’m at the best team in the world. First and second is the result that all the guys deserve.”

And that was that. Thereafter Massa had no answer, or did not appear to be looking for one, as Alonso took control of proceedings and crossing the line on lap 49 to take victory, punching the air and driving one handed around the Sakhir circuit. The Ferrari fairytale continues.

Massa took the chequered flag to make it a 1-2 for the Maranello squad and crowning a fantastic weekend for the Scuderia.

The Brazilian, who was racing again after his horrific accident in Hungary last year, said of his remarkable comeback, “It’s just fantastic to be here. Thanks to God that I am fine and thanks to everybody that supported me both at home and in every country. I got so many letters, so thank you. It was a strange race. I didn’t have a good start and I lost position to Fernando but then after that it was great. When we changed tyres I was so quick and I caught Fernando right away. But I was saving fuel for the last 30 laps. It was not an easy race but a fantastic result for the team, we have pushed very hard for the last year. It is my best start to a season so I am delighted.”

Helpless Vettel soldiered on with a cracked exhaust, running three seconds off the pace and inevitably on lap 38 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes) went by into third place.

The Briton complained of vibration problems with ten laps to go, but was assured by his team that it was probably due to a flat spot on one of the tyres on the MP4-25. In other words, get on with it! He did to take the final podium spot with Vettel salvaging fourth despite his problems.

As usual Vettel saw the bright side of his misfortune, “It’s a pity but what can you do. All in all it’s been positive all weekend apart from the failure. Everything was running smoothly, but I lost power with about 20 laps to go, we are not sure what it was yet, but it wasn’t good. Luckily I could continue and finish fourth but we should have won really.”

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP) crossed the line fifth after a gallant chase of Vettel which came to naught. Nevertheless the German will be glad to have beaten his highly regarded team mate, comeback champion, Michael Schumacher who finished sixth, managing to hold off a concerted challenge from seventh placed Jenson Button (McLaren Mercedes) who in turn had to fend off Mark Webber (Red Bull Renault) who was eighth.

The Australian survived an early scare as the Renault engine in his Red Bull billowed thick clouds of smoke from the grid and halfway round the first lap when it subsided but had nevertheless cost Webber valuable time.

Button described the latter part of his race, “I started pushing with 20 laps to go and I caught up with Michael but I couldn’t do anything I didn’t have the pace in the middle section to challenge. Set-up wise the car was OK but there are a few things I need to look at to make it more my style but I am reasonably happy with that as a first race.”

Schumacher was typically realistic about his first comeback race, “It is as good as it could have been. Overtaking here is impossible and that is the action we are going to have with this environment of race strategy. It was good fun. We have to work forward to catch up with what is in front of us.”

Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) gave his team reason to smile as they were the best of the rest in ninth place with Rubens Barrichello (Williams) rounding up the top ten.

Robert Kubica (Renault) and Adrian Sutil (Force India) were next up in 11th and 12th respectively, the duo were involved in spins on the first lap which saw them drop down the order and as a consequence spent the whole afternoon playing catch up.

Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) had an impressive race finishing 13th after starting down in 18th. The young Spaniard made no mistakes in the process.

In contrast rookie Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) had an incident packed race, surviving an early spin which prompted an early pitstop whereupon he chose soft compound Bridgestones which proved useless forcing him to make another stop. Despite the mishaps he was still the best placed rookie in 14th.

Heikki Kovalainen and his new Lotus team will be celebrating his 15th place finish as a “victory”. Easily the best placed newcomer team, the Finn also made up the most places having started down in 21st on the grid. In 17 th was his team mate Jarno Trulli also finished despite hydraulic problems towards the end of the race, the team kept him out with the goal of having both cars finish their first race. Mission accomplished.

Splitting the Lotus’ was Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) in 16th.

Unsurprisingly Karun Chandhok, who had hardly any running all weekend, was the first retirement in the HRT not completing 2 laps. He explained, “It was only my fifth lap of the circuit, I found a bump I didn’t know was there before and it launched me off.”

A lap later Virgin Racing’s Lucas di Grassi was in for an early shower as he parked on the side of the circuit with hydraulic issues in the VR01.

Unsurprisingly Karun Chandhok, who had hardly any running all weekend, was the first retirement in the HRT not completing 2 laps. He explained, “It was only my fifth lap of the circuit, I found a bump I didn’t know was there before and it launched me off.”

Nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna had a forgettable Grand Prix debut with a the Hispania Racing team that was clearly unprepared and not ready to race, let alone in Formula1. Senna’s race came to an end on lap 19, “I am not sure what happened I think it is hydraulics, the data is not telling us anything but this is all useful mileage for us, we need to learn from it.”

Lap 13 proved unlucky for rookie Vitaly Petrov (Renault) who has terminal problems on his first pitstop. The first Russian F1 driver explained, “I think we lost one piece of the car, I hit a kerb, the suspension was not totally broken but it was damaged. The car was brilliant to drive though and I was quicker than I thought I would be, it’s disappointing to have to retire but these things happen.”

Much was expected of the Sauber team who were touted as a possible surprise package. Prediction unfulfilled as Kamui Kobayashi retired on lap 16 with hydraulic problems. On lap 28 Pedro de la Rosa’s Sauber wheeled into the pit garages signaling pack uptime for the Swiss team. De la Rosa reflected, “The team told me on the radio that we had a hydraulic problem, I had to come in. Life is life, motor racing is like this – until then I was having fun out there. It’s a shame.”

A lap later Virgin Racing’s Lucas di Grassi was in for an early shower as he parked on the side of the circuit with hydraulic issues in the VR01. On lap 18 Timo Glock was wheeled into the garage with gearbox problems, thus ending a torrid, and ultimately disappointing, weekend for the newcomers.

Bahrain Grand Prix result