Welcome back to Speed, the 2015 Formula 1 season is in full swing now with Britain’s Lewis Hamilton leading the way after three races. Last week
ADVERTISEMENTWelcome back to Speed, the 2015 Formula 1 season is in full swing now with Britain’s Lewis Hamilton leading the way after three races. Last week, the defending champion took home his second victory of the season and the 35th of his career in Shanghai ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg. Was he able to shine again in Bahrain?
Three wins out of four
Lewis Hamilton produced yet another flawless run to triumph from pole position in Bahrain. The 30-year-old dominated the race and was never really troubled en route to his third win in four races.
Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen came charging through at the end in his Ferrari and nipped past Nico Rosberg at the start of the penultimate lap when the German ran too deep into Turn One.
The error was influenced by problems with the Mercedes’ brakes, which were also affecting Hamilton but the Stevenage-born racer held on to take the chequered flag.
This win sees him extend his championship lead to 27 points over team-mate Rosberg who leapfrogged Sebastian Vettel into second place.
Mercedes tension
Merecedes have had a great start to the season with several podium finishes. Although Hamilton and Rosberg have been in stellar shape on track, their conduct away from the cockpit has seen them generate some rather negative press. With Ferrari picking up pace, Mercedes will be keen to avoid any further unecessary friction between their drivers.
Lewis Hamilton’s win in China sparked a furious blast from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg as their long-running feud reignited.
Following the race, second placed Rosberg accused Hamilton of driving slower than necessary as Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who completed the podium, closed-in.
The reigning champion, who has beaten the German in ten of the last eleven races responded by telling journalists that Rosberg had not tried hard enough to beat him.
The pair, who have known each other since they were 13, recently said they had moved on from the Shanghai spat and would now do their talking on the track.
Breakthrough of the year
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo received the Laureus breakthrough of the year award in Shanghai last week, becoming the first Australian in five years to win the prestigious accolade. The 25-year-old beat the likes of Mario Gotze and Mikaela Shiffrin as he surpassed all expectations in what was his first season with the team.
Ricciardo claimed three grand prix victories in 2014 and scored points in all but three races, en route to an outstanding third place finish in the drivers’ standings.
The 25-year-old, who’s currently lying in 7th place this season, is the fourth F1 driver to win the Breakthrough of the Year award, following in the footsteps of Juan Pablo Montoya, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Experience pays off
Italy’s Valentino Rossi rolled back the years to clinch a dramatic MotoGP victory in Argentina after a clash with Marc Marquez on the penultimate lap.
ADVERTISEMENTStarting from eighth on the grid, the 36-year-old worked his way through the field before overtaking the Spaniard with just two laps remaining.
Marquez, struggling with his tyres, clipped Rossi’s back wheel when trying to regain the lead and crashed out. Officials reviewed the incident but decided that no action was necessary.
Rossi, who now holds a 6 point advantage in the overall standings, went on to win with a five-second lead over second-placed compatriot Andrea Dovizioso with Britain’s Cal Crutchlow finishing third.
Second straight win
Well that’s all we have time for this week but we’ll be back on April 26 for another edition of Speed where we will be looking at the Rally Argentina. In the meantime, we end the programme with some of the best moments from the Motocross World Championship in Trentino. Brace yourselves and see you soon.
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