The changes made to the setups of Formula One racecars, designed to increase fan appeal with higher speed through the turns, have seemingly worked out much to the liking of Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, as he won again, this time in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The third race of the season once again was a Mercedes showcase of sorts, with Lewis Hamilton taking second and Nico Rosberg replacement Valtteri Bottas finishing third after starting from the pole.
Another Ferrari, that driven by Kimi Raikkonen, took fourth.
Had he not run out of laps, it might have been Hamilton atop the podium, as near the end of the race, he was catching Vettel on every lap, but traffic got in the way and he eventually finished seven seconds in arrears.
Australia’s Team Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo figured in the ultimate result, finishing fifth, but it was an encounter with Hamilton in the pit lane that cost Hamilton a five-second penalty for driving too slowly and holding Ricciardo back. Both drivers had pitted for new tires when the safety car came out on the 13th lap following a collision betwixt Lance Stoll and Carlos Sainz, JR.
Hamilton has won the overall championship three times. Vettel has done it on four occasions, so the result would have been of no surprise to anyone.
