Sakhir International Circuit, Bahrain - Mercedes took its second win in as many races this season at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, when Lewis Hamilton led home an easy team one-two at the steamy Sepang circuit.
With team-mate Nico Rosberg winning the first round and coming second this past weekend, the Silver Arrows have firmly positioned themselves atop a reshuffled pecking order in a Formula One season plagued by reliability issues under heavily-revised engine rules. Two races in and it’s Mercedes’ new hybrid power unit that’s proven to be the field’s most powerful, fuel efficient and reliable, with four of the top five teams running its turbocharged 1.6-litre V6.
Rosberg now leads the Drivers’ standings with a commanding 43 points to Hamilton’s 25, and Mercedes also tops the Constructors’ table with 68 points to McLaren’s 43 and Ferrari’s 30. Mercedes-powered Williams and Force India are fourth and fifth with 20 and 19 points respectively.
TECHNICAL HICCUPS
Red Bull and engine partner Renault have suffered an embarrassing start to the 2014 calendar with a series of technical hiccups and poor results, but it’s the reigning champion that is nipping closest on Mercedes’ heels in sheer pace even if points logs don’t tell the full story.
Quadruple World champion Sebastian Vettel put points on the board for his team after a DNF in Australia by finishing third last Sunday, and new team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was running a competitive fourth until a botched stop, broken front wing and tyre puncture led to his eventual retirement on lap 49.
A GAP TO BRIDGE
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was forced to work for his fourth place by hard-charging Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg, and Hulkenberg’s tactical result (with one fewer pit stop than the other front-runners) is probably unrepresentative of the team’s current status.
Ferrari has a clear gap to bridge in race day performance, with Alonso citing traction issues as the reason he “felt slow” and “didn’t feel competitive” at Sepang.
Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen’s race was stymied by a flat tyre after an early coming together with McLaren prodigy Kevin Magnussen. The Finn then fought through traffic for most of the race and limped home in a non-points scoring 12th.
TRICKY CONDITIONS
The F1 circus heads for a back-to-back round in Bahrain this weekend where it’s likely Mercedes will continue its dominance, but tricky conditions could have a role in uncovering further Achilles’ heels among some of the teams.
The Sakhir circuit is known for its desert locale; its soaring temperatures and sandy surface not only affect tyre adhesion but can also wreak havoc on engine components.
Consider this an accurate litmus test for mechanical reliability - the key to points procurement. - The Star
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