Formula 1 :Ferrari 1-2 in Bahrain

(Part 1 of 2)

Former World Champion Fernando Alonso, granted Luca di Montezemolo’s wish with a convincing win at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday. Felipe Massa grabbed some of the spotlight by securing second position, for a morale building Ferrari 1-2, completing Ferrari’s best possible start to the 2010 F1 season. The Tifosi must be ecstatic!
The race which was held on one of F1’s longest tracks – 3.5 miles – began with the usual first corner drama. Mark Webber’s Red Bull Racing machine, apparently concerned about mosquito infestation, did a good job at eradication by releasing two huge plumes of smoke from its exhaust, obscuring the view of the oncoming drivers for a brief interval. Eager to add to the festivities, Robert Kubica and Adrian Sutil spun like figure skaters on ice. 

Sebastian Vettel

The race quickly settled into a rhythm, however and Sebastian Vettel in his Adrian Newey designed, possibly aerodynamically superior machine, sped away from the chasing pack.

The cars all started with full tanks of 49-50 gallons of fuel, (an additional 300 lbs of weight) and they didn’t hesitate to move around under power, which took a telling toll on the tires.

Vettel shone for most of the race, until the gods chose a different path for him. What was a sure victory in the script, was erased, when he reported that the car was losing power. In a computer generated throttle blip (a rather short time), Vettel’s role switched from predator to prey.

NB. Part 2 tomorrow

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer