Bahrain GP: Further points for Williams Martini

With the sun setting over the Bahrain circuit the Williams Martini team would see their cars sixth and seventh on the grid for the fifty seven lap race. Ahead of them were Hamilton and Rosberg on the front row with Hamilton on pole. Behind them were Vettel in third followed by Raikkonen and Ricciardo. For Williams Valtteri Bottas was sixth and Felipe Massa seventh. The top ten was made up of Hulkenberg, Grosjean, and Verstappen. The top eight were all on the supersoft tyre. Those starting on the soft tyre were Sainz, Kvyat, Wehrlein, Ericsson, Haryanto, Nasr, and Magnussen. Magnussen would start the race from the pit lane as a result of a penalty.

The grid would move away and all except for Vettel complete their formation lap. Vettel would have a major engine failure seeing him pull off the track prior to getting to the grid. Palmer would pull into the pits and the rest of the field would return and form up and the five red lights would go out and the field would head off with Valtteri making great start and he would make contact with Hamilton. Rosberg would be leading from Felipe and Valtteri. Hulkenberg would pit while at turn one contact was made with Sainz and he would get a puncture. Palmer would retire in the pits. Perez would pit with front wing damage most likely from making contact with Sainz. Sainz would finally pit and get new tyres as Valtteri reported that everything was ok with his car.

Replays had shown that both Williams cars had made great starts. It also showed Valtteri making contact with Hamilton at Turn one. Ricciardo had also suffered front wing damage after hitting the rear of Valtteri. Lap six and Rosberg was leading by 7.6 seconds. Raikkonen would pass Ricciardo for fourth. Ricciardo would pit on lap eight while Raikkonen would continue to move forward passing Valtteri at Turn one. Hamilton was closing in onto Valtteri while Felipe would pit on lap nine. Button would retire out on the track as Hamilton passed Valtteri at Turn one. Hamilton was now third. Felipe would take on the medium tyre in his stop. Valtteri would also pit on lap ten, joined by Grosjean.

Valtteri would also take on the medium tyre with Felipe was now eleventh and Valtteri fifteenth. But Valtteri's race would go all wrong when he was given a drive through penalty for causing an accident. Valtteri would take his drive through penalty with Felipe now eighth having passed several cars. Lap twelve and Verstappen would pit from sixth. Valtteri was now sixteenth with Felipe moving up to sixth as a result of pit stops. Grosjean had pitted from fourth, rejoining in tenth on new supersofts. Raikkonen would pit on lap fourteen taking on soft tyres. He would come back out behind Felipe and would pass him. Rosberg would pit on lap fifteen followed by team-mate Hamilton. Rosberg would take on soft tyres but Hamilton would take medium tyres.

Raikkonen would pass Kvyat for second with the Red Bull having yet to pit running on the soft tyre. Felipe was now running in sixth and Valtteri tenth. Hamilton was running in fourth behind Ricciardo. Felipe would pass Kvyat now running in fifth. Grosjean would also pass Kvyat with the Hass now in sixth. Lap eighteen and Kvyat would pit on lap eighteen while out on the track Grosjean was challenging Felipe with the Hass on the supersoft tyre and Felipe on the medium. Grosjean would get past Felipe for fifth. For Manor Wehrlein was in twelfth and Haryanto fifteenth. Lap twenty and Rosberg was leading Raikkonen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Felipe, Verstappen, Vandoorne, Valtteri, and Ericsson in tenth.

Verstappen would get past Felipe making use of his soft tyres seeing Felipe now seventh. Valtteri was now ninth while at the front Grosjean would passed Ricciardo for fourth. Ricciardo would pit on lap twenty six taking on the soft tyre. Kvyat had passed Valtteri for ninth. With Ricciardo's stop Felipe was now sixth and Valtteri ninth. Vandoorne would pit from seventh seeing Valtteri now in eighth. But Valtteri would get past by Ricciardo seeing him drop down to ninth again. Verstappen would pit from fifth on lap twenty eight, taking the medium tyre. Felipe was now fifth and Valtteri eighth. Lap twenty nine and Grosjean would pit from fourth. Felipe was now fourth and Valtteri seventh. The following lap Hamilton would pit taking on the supersoft tyre. Grosjean had also taking on the supersoft tyre.

Grosjean and Verstappen would both get past Valtteri seeing Valtteri again ninth. Ricciardo would pass Felipe and on lap thirty one Raikkonen would pit taking on the supersoft tyre. Felipe would also pit taking on new medium tyres. Rosberg would pit on lap thirty two taking on the super soft tyre seeing the top three all on the supersoft tyre. Grosjean would pass Kvyat for fifth while for Williams Valtteri was now eighth and Felipe tenth. The pair were running close together with Vandoorne running in the middle of the two Williams. Valtteri would pit taking on the soft tyre. Valtteri was now one lap down running in fifteenth. Lap thirty nine and Raikkonen would pit from second. He would return on the soft tyre running in third. Felipe was seventh and looking to run to the end on his medium tyres.

Valtteri was now in twelfth. Lap forty one and Rosberg would pit taking on the soft tyre. He would return in second. Kvyat was now in eighth and on the supersoft tyre and looking to close the gap to Felipe. Valtteri was now in tenth while Grosjean would pit from fifth on lap forty two. He would also take on the soft tyre in what was a slow stop . He would come back out in eighth. Hamilton would also pit taking on the soft tyre returning in third. Felipe was now in sixth and Valtteri ninth. Vandoorne had pitted from ninth on lap forty three taking on the supersoft tyre. Ricciardo would pit from fourth on lap forty four. He would come out in front of Felipe running on the medium tyre. Kvyat would pit on lap forty seven seeing Valtteri move up to eighth. Grosjean would pass Felipe for sixth with the Hass on the newer soft tyre. This would see Felipe and Valtteri seventh and eighth.

Verstappen would pit taking on the supersoft tyre. He would return in seventh running in front of Valtteri. In ninth was Kvyat and closing in onto Valtteri using his supersoft tyre. Kvyat would pass Valtteri for ninth. Verstappen would pass Felipe seeing the Williams driver now seventh. The top ten was Rosberg from Raikkonen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Verstappen, Felipe, Kvyat, Valtteri, and Vandoorne in tenth. Two laps remaining and Felipe and Valtteri were still seventh and ninth. The final lap and Rosberg was leading by 7.4 seconds over Raikkonen. He would complete the lap taking victory in the 2016 Bahrain GP. But on the last lap Kvyat was able to get past Felipe for seventh. This would see Felipe and Valtteri in seventh and eighth. Raikkonen was second followed by Hamilton, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Verstappen, Kvyat, Felipe, Valtteri, and Vandoorne in tenth.