Manama, Bahrain - Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix for the second year in a row on Sunday with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen back on the podium to deny Mercedes another one-two finish under the floodlights.
Hamilton's flying pole-to-flag victory at the desert track was his third win in four races this season and the 36th of his career. He increased his lead over Rosberg in the standings to 27 points, with 93 to his team-mate’s 66 as the championship heads back to start the European season.
“I am gunning for it,” Hamilton told triple world champion Jackie Stewart, doing the podium interviews, when reminded that he could also be a three-times champion by the end of the season.
“The Ferraris gave us a real good run for our money, and out there it was really difficult to look after the tyres in these conditions,” he added after spraying the fizzy rose water that replaces champagne in Bahrain.
He did so with less reckless abandon than in China last weekend, when photographs of him aiming a jet of fizz in the face of a hostess triggered a controversy and accusations of sexist bullying.
“Fortunately I was able to keep the car together, keep the tyres as healthy as possible and got it through,” he said. “I think we showed that Mercedes is still the best.”
Unlike last year, when he beat Rosberg from second on the grid in a wheel-to-wheel battle, Hamilton was untroubled by his team-mate, who finished third after battling with the Ferraris.
FIREWORKS
Rosberg was holding second place until two laps from the end when he lost his brakes, went wide and gave Raikkonen the chance to dive past on his fresher soft tyres and pull away to the chequered flag.
Rosberg had been passed by Raikkonen at the start, regaining the place four laps later, in the first move of a prolonged struggle with the Ferraris.
The second place was the Finn's first appearance on the podium since 2013, when he was at Lotus, and his first for Ferrari since 2009.
He also set the fastest lap, equalling four-times champion Alain Prost's tally of 41 and joining the Frenchman in second place on the all-time lists.
Valtteri Bottas finished fourth for Williams with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel fifth after starting on the front row but suffering front wing problems when he made a mistake late on and veered across the gravel.
Daniel Ricciardo was sixth for Red Bull, with the car's Renault engine expiring in a belch of smoke just before he crossed the line (Red Bull principal Christian Horner commented wryly, “All the fireworks went off and the engine felt like it needed to join in.”).
Romain Grosjean was seventh for Lotus, Sergio Perez finished eighth for Force India, Daniil Kvyat was ninth in a Red Bull and veteran Felipe Massa took the final point for Williams after a problem on the grid left him starting from the pit lane.
Britain's Jenson Button didn’t start the race at all, due to electrical problems in the Honda power unit, but team-mate Fernando Alonso finished 11th. - Reuters
RESULTS
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 1hr35m05.809s
2 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari +3.380s
3 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes +6.033
4 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams +42.957
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari +43.989
6 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull +1m01.751
7 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus +1:24.763
8 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India +1 lap
9 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull +1 lap
10 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams +1 lap
11 Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren +1 lap
12 Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber +1 lap
13 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India +1 lap
14 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber +1 lap
15 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus +1 lap
16 Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia +2 laps
17 Roberto Merhi (Spain) Marussia +3 laps
Retirements
Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - 23 laps
Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - 28 laps
Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren - 57 laps
Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen, 1:36.311, lap 42.
DRIVER STANDINGS
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 93
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes - 66
3 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari - 65
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari - 42
5 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams - 31
6 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - 30
7 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - 19
8 Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - 14
9 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 12
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India - 6
11 Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - 6
12 Carlos Sainz Junior (Spain) Toro Rosso - 6
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - 5
14 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - 5
15 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull - 4
CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
1 Mercedes - 159
2 Ferrari - 107
3 Williams - 61
4 Red Bull - 23
5 Sauber - 19
6 Lotus - 12
7 Toro Rosso - 12
8 Force India - 11