2015 Bahrain Grand Prix

The 2015 Bahrain Grand Prix (formally the 2015 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix) was the fourth race of the 2015 Formula One season. The race was the 11th Bahrain Grand Prix, with all of them being held at the Bahrain International Circuit.
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==Background==
Soft "option" and medium "prime" tyres were used for the Grand Prix..
As in 2014, the race started at sunset, meaning this would be a night race.
Jolyon Palmer competed in the first practice session for .
The weather was said to be "typically hot [and] dry", with Friday's temperatures being about 36 °C (97 °F) at the start of the first practice session. However, the temperatures on Sunday were expected to be lower due to the race taking place at night.
Lewis Hamilton was accused by Nico Rosberg for backing him up into the drivers, to which the former said that he "did try to attack". They were warned by saying that they will be "managed" more if their behaviour continues. After Hamilton mentioned that negotiations with extending his contract were going slow, people started to rumour that he was asking for a number one status, to which both Hamilton and Mercedes denied the claim.
==Entry list==
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
44 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team	 	W06 Hybrid 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
6 	Nico Rosberg 	Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team	 	W06 Hybrid 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	Infiniti Red Bull Racing 	 	RB11 	 	Energy F1-2015 	
26 	Daniil Kvyat 	Infiniti Red Bull Racing 	 	RB11 	 	Energy F1-2015 	
19 	Felipe Massa 	Williams Martini Racing 	 	FW37 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
77 	Valtteri Bottas 	Williams Martini Racing 	 	FW37 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
5 	Sebastian Vettel 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	SF15-T 	 	059/3 	
7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	SF15-T 	 	059/3 	
14 	Fernando Alonso 	McLaren Honda 	 	MP4-30 	 	RA615H Hybrid 	
22 	Jenson Button 	McLaren Honda 	 	MP4-30 	 	RA615H Hybrid 	
27 	Nico Hülkenberg 	Sahara Force India F1 Team 	 	VJM08 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
11 	Sergio Pérez 	Sahara Force India F1 Team 	 	VJM08 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
33 	Max Verstappen 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR10 	 	Energy F1-2015 	
55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR10 	 	Energy F1-2015 	
8 	Romain Grosjean 	Lotus F1 Team 	 	E23 Hybrid 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
13 	Pastor Maldonado 	Lotus F1 Team 	 	E23 Hybrid 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
28 	Will Stevens 	Manor Marussia F1 Team 	 	MR03 	 	059/3 	
98 	Roberto Merhi 	Manor Marussia F1 Team 	 	MR03 	 	059/3 	
9 	Marcus Ericsson 	Sauber F1 Team 	 	C34 	 	059/3 	
12 	Felipe Nasr 	Sauber F1 Team 	 	C34 	 	059/3 	
Free Practice 1 only	Free Practice 1 only	Free Practice 1 only 	Free Practice 1 only	Free Practice 1 only	Free Practice 1 only	Free Practice 1 only	Free Practice 1 only
30 	Jolyon Palmer 	Lotus F1 Team 	 	E23 Hybrid 	 	PU106B Hybrid 	
source 	source 	source 	source 	source 	source 	source 	source
==Practice Overview==
===FP1===
Kimi Räikkönen was fastest in the first practice session, having set a time of 1:37.827. Sebastian Vettel followed 0.202 seconds behind despite losing power on his second run, while Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were fifteenth and sixteenth respectively after they used their second set of medium tyres a lot earlier than the other teams, who all waited until the circuit rubbered in. Valtteri Bottas had successfully set the third fastest time for Williams, being joined by Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz, Jr. Daniel Ricciardo was fifth ahead of Toro Rosso's other driver Max Verstappen. Fernando Alonso made a surprise result with the seventh fastest time. However, Jenson Button was unable to set a time when an electrical issue caused his car to spin and halt at Turn 2 at the start of his flying lap. Felipe Nasr was eighth fastest, but his teammate Marcus Ericsson was in seventeenth. The final two in the top ten were Daniil Kvyat and Felipe Massa.
Sergio Pérez and Nico Hülkenberg were eleventh and thirteenth respectively, sandwiching Pastor Maldonado. Jolyon Palmer again took over for Romain Grosjean, setting the fourteenth fastest time. Will Stevens was eighteenth fastest, and Roberto Merhi followed in nineteenth.
===FP2===
After failing to top the results of the first session, Rosberg and Hamilton were able to get back to the top in the second practice session. Rosberg was fastest with a time of 1:34.647, while Hamilton was second after locking up his right front tyre at Turn 8. Räikkönen followed, and teammate Vettel was fourth, despite an incident near the end. He was coming out of the pits, when he noted of having problems with his brakes, and his front wing was damaged after it made contact at Turn 1 with the tyre of Pérez, who was seventeenth in the session and making a dive inside Nasr. The red flags were briefly brought out when the debris was left on the track, having to be removed. Following an investigation, the stewards gave no further action for the incident. Räikkönen and Hamilton were also alerted to the stewards when they left the pit lane incorrectly, having passed a few drivers at the exit. Räikkönen was reprimanded for what appeared to be dangerous driving, while no further action was given for Hamilton.
Bottas was still impressive with the fifth fastest time, being followed by Ricciardo. Maldonado was successfully seventh, and after Vettel and Pérez's incident, Nasr was eighth. Kvyat and Massa finished in the same positions as in the first session, and Ericsson moved to eleventh in front of Alonso. Absent from the first session due to Palmer taking over, Grosjean was thirteenth ahead of Sainz, Hülkenberg and Verstappen. Button was nineteenth following an engine problem that forced him to stop at Turn 11 after completing only two laps. McLaren were able to get the car going again later in the session, but Button could not improve the lap time he set earlier, being sandwiched between Stevens and Merhi.
===FP3===
Hamilton was able to beat Rosberg in the third practice session, being 0.069 seconds ahead of Vettel, with Rosberg being third. Räikkönen, who was fourth fastest, was followed by Bottas and Massa, and Maldonado did an impressive seventh. Ricciardo set the eighth fastest time, but his teammate Kvyat was twelfth after a spin into the gravel trap at Turn 4 following four laps completed. However, he managed to go back onto the circuit in the last three minutes. Hülkenberg and Nasr filled out the top ten, with Button in eleventh. Ericsson was thirteenth fastest ahead of Verstappen and Pérez, and Alonso had set the sixteenth fastest time. Sainz followed him, and Grosjean was eighteenth after struggling with lock-up from his brakes. Stevens and Merhi were nineteenth and twentieth respectively.
===Practice Results===
No 	Driver 	Team 	FP1 	 	FP2 	 	FP3 	 	 	 	 	 	
No 	Driver 	Team 	Time 	Pos 	Time 	Pos 	Time 	Pos 	 	 	 	 	
3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	1:38.455	5 	1:35.449	6 	1:36.335	8 	 	 	 	 	
5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	1:38.029	2 	1:35.277	4 	1:34.668	2 	 	 	 	 	
6 	Nico Rosberg 	 	1:39.293	15 	1:34.647	1 	1:34.968	3 	 	 	 	 	
7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	1:37.827	1 	1:35.174	3 	1:35.141	4 	 	 	 	 	
8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	 	1:36.334	13 	1:37.151	18 	 	 	 	 	 	
9 	Marcus Ericsson 	 	1:39.534	17 	1:36.148	11 	1:36.612	13 	 	 	 	 	
11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	1:38.793	11 	1:37.062	17 	1:36.727	15 	 	 	 	 	
12 	Felipe Nasr 	 	1:38.628	8 	1:35.793	8 	1:36.429	10 	 	 	 	 	
13 	Pastor Maldonado 	 	1:38.842	12 	1:35.474	7 	1:36.307	7 	 	 	 	 	
14 	Fernando Alonso 	 	1:38.598	7 	1:36.191	12 	1:36.899	16 	 	 	 	 	
19 	Felipe Massa 	 	1:38.790	10 	1:35.884	10 	1:35.471	6 	 	 	 	 	
22 	Jenson Button 	 	No Time 	20 	1:39.209	19 	1:36.488	11 	 	 	 	 	
26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	1:38.661	9 	1:35.883	9 	1:36.548	12 	 	 	 	 	
27 	Nico Hülkenberg 	 	1:39.187	13 	1:36.805	15 	1:36.421	9 	 	 	 	 	
28 	Will Stevens 	 	1:42.973	18 	1:39.131	18 	1:39.745	19 	 	 	 	 	
30 	Jolyon Palmer 	 	1:39.283	14 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
33 	Max Verstappen 	 	1:38.504	6 	1:36.917	16 	1:36.684	14 	 	 	 	 	
44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	1:39.532	16 	1:34.762	2 	1:34.599	1 	 	 	 	 	
55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr.	 	1:38.447	4 	1:36.471	14 	1:36.979	17 	 	 	 	 	
77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	1:38.390	3 	1:35.280	5 	1:35.393	5 	 	 	 	 	
98 	Roberto Merhi 	 	1:44.265	19 	1:40.592	20 	1:40.541	20 	 	 	 	 	
Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:
==Qualifying==
===Q1===
Hamilton had the fastest time in Q1, with Bottas separating him from Rosberg. Button was one of the Q1 eliminators, when he was unable to set a time due to another technical problem. He stated, after his car broke down following its exit out of the pits, that "I'm guessing it was electrical; the car just shut down." He was later given permission by the stewards to take part in the race. Meanwhile, his teammate Alonso finally got his car into Q2. Maldonado was also eliminated when his car had an engine problem, having to start 16th. The other drivers eliminated were Kvyat, Stevens and Merhi.
===Q2===
Again, the fastest time was set by Hamilton, ahead of Räikkönen, Massa, Vettel and Rosberg. Pérez was only just put into the knockout zone by Sainz at the end of Q2. Both Sauber drivers Nasr and Ericsson qualified twelfth and thirteenth respectively. Alonso was knocked out as well with the fourteenth fastest time, having made the first time McLaren had got into Q2 in 2015. Verstappen was the last of the drivers in the knockout zone after a mistake at the end of his fastest lap.
===Q3===
Hamilton went on to receive his first pole position in Bahrain, with a time of 1:32.571, ahead of Vettel and Rosberg. Räikkönen was next to Rosberg, and Bottas and Massa qualified fifth and sixth respectively. Ricciardo was seventh ahead of Hülkenberg, Sainz and Grosjean.
===Qualifying Results===
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Q1 	Q1 	 	Q2 	Q2 	 	Q3 	Q3 	Grid
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Pos 	Time 	 	Pos 	Time 	 	Pos 	Time 	Grid
1 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	 	1 	1:33.928 	 	1 	1:32.669 	 	1 	1:32.571 	1
2 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	 	7 	1:34.919 	 	4 	1:33.623 	 	2 	1:32.982 	2
3 	6 	Nico Rosberg 	 	 	3 	1:34.398 	 	5 	1:33.878 	 	3 	1:33.129 	3
4 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	 	5 	1:34.568 	 	2 	1:33.540 	 	4 	1:33.227 	4
5 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	 	2 	1:34.161 	 	6 	1:33.897 	 	5 	1:33.381 	5
6 	19 	Felipe Massa 	 	 	4 	1:34.488 	 	3 	1:33.551 	 	6 	1:33.744 	6
7 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	 	6 	1:34.691 	 	8 	1:34.403 	 	7 	1:33.832 	7
8 	27 	Nico Hülkenberg 	 	 	15 	1:35.653 	 	9 	1:34.613 	 	8 	1:34.450 	8
9 	55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	 	 	11 	1:35.371 	 	10 	1:34.641 	 	9 	1:34.462 	9
10 	8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	 	8 	1:35.007 	 	7 	1:34.123 	 	10 	1:34.484 	10
11 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	 	12 	1:35.451 	 	11 	1:34.704 	 	 	 	11
12 	12 	Felipe Nasr 	 	 	10 	1:35.310 	 	12 	1:34.737 	 	 	 	12
13 	9 	Marcus Ericsson 	 	 	11 	1:35.438 	 	13 	1:35.034 	 	 	 	13
14 	20 	Fernando Alonso 	 	 	9 	1:35.205 	 	14 	1:35.039 	 	 	 	14
15 	33 	Max Verstappen 	 	 	15 	1:35.611 	 	15 	1:35.103 	 	 	 	15
16 	13 	Pastor Maldonado 	 	 	16 	1:35.677 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16
17 	26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	 	17 	1:35.800 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17
18 	28 	Will Stevens 	 	 	18 	1:38.713 	 	 	 	 	 	 	18
19 	98 	Roberto Merhi 	 	 	19 	1:39.722 	 	 	 	 	 	 	19
107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502	107% time: 1:40.502
– 	22 	Jenson Button 	 	 	20 	no time 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20*
Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source:
Note:
** Button did not manage to set a time within the Q1 107% requirement, and was given permission from the stewards to race.
===Grid===
Source
Note:
** Button did not manage to set a time within the Q1 107% requirement, and was given permission from the stewards to race.
==Race==
===Pre-race===
Button was unable to start the race, due to further technical problems.
===Report===
At the start of the formation lap, Massa's car stalled, which it was thought to be an electrical problem. It was able to move again, but Massa had to start from the pit lane due to the new rules of 2015. Hamilton kept his lead at the first corner on the first lap, and Räikkönen overtook Rosberg while the latter was trying to make a move around Vettel. However, Rosberg was able to get past Räikkönen on lap 4.
Maldonado was given a five-second penalty for not lining up on the grid correctly. Meanwhile, Rosberg took second place from Vettel on lap 9. Hülkenberg, Massa and Nasr made the first pit stops of the race on lap 11. Maldonado took his penalty during his first pit stop. Vettel came in on lap 14, and moved into third on lap 15 when Rosberg took his first pit stop, despite the latter already being in front of Vettel. Hamilton pitted on the next lap, giving the lead to Räikkönen, and rejoining in second right ahead of Vettel and Rosberg. Rosberg was able to get past Vettel on lap 17, before Räikkönen pitted on lap 18.
Stefan Stranz Mercedes team joined on the podium to receive the winning manufacturer’s award.
to be completed
===Post-race===
Hamilton explained to Jackie Stewart while in the podium interviews: "The Ferraris gave us a real good run for our money and out there it was really difficult to look after the tyres in these conditions, behind backmarkers and all sorts, but fortunately I was able to keep the car together, keep the tyres as healthy as possible and pull it through." Räikkönen stated that he was disappointed with not winning, but was pleased of "how the team is working." Rosberg said that while he was displeased with losing second place, he was still happy with the speed of the car.
Vettel, who had finished outside the podium, said that he thought he had let Ferrari down with his mistake of going wide and damaging his front wing, but still had "a good recovery and still some decent points."
The Süddeutsche Zeitung stated that Räikkönen's drive, earning him his first podium in his return to Ferrari, was a "cool application" for a new contract after 2015.
Ricciardo's car had a fourth engine put in after the third failed upon finishing the race, meaning that he would get a grid penalty if he uses a fifth engine. Verstappen, who was one of the drivers that did not finish the race, stated that the engine was "a bit of a nightmare." Christian Horner later announced that the teams would agree to have a plan on allowing a maximum of five engines to be used.
===Results===
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	57 	1h 35m 5.809s	1 	25
2 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	57 	+3.380 	4 	18
3 	6 	Nico Rosberg 	 	57 	+6.033 	3 	15
4 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	57 	+42.957 	5 	12
5 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	57 	+43.989 	2 	10
6 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	57 	+61.751 	7 	8
7 	8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	57 	+84.763 	10 	6
8 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	11 	4
9 	26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	18* 	2
10 	19 	Felipe Massa 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	PL† 	1
11 	14 	Fernando Alonso 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	14 	
12 	12 	Felipe Nasr 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	12 	
13 	27 	Nico Hülkenberg 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	8 	
14 	9 	Marcus Ericsson 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	13 	
15 	13 	Pastor Maldonado 	 	56 	+1 Lap 	17* 	
16 	28 	Will Stevens 	 	55 	+2 Laps 	19* 	
17 	98 	Roberto Merhi 	 	54 	+3 Laps 	20* 	
Ret 	33 	Max Verstappen 	 	34 	Electrical 	15 	
Ret 	55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr.	 	29 	Engine 	9 	
DNS 	22 	Jenson Button 	 	0 	ERS 	—‡ 	
Source:	Source:	Source: 	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source:
Notes:
** Maldonado made a mistake on the grid by lining up in seventeenth instead of sixteenth, with all the drivers behind him pushed down one place.
*† Massa started from the pit lane after a problem caused him to stall on the grid.
*‡ Button's car stayed in the pits, after McLaren spotted a problem with its ERS.
===Fastest laps===
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor	Lap 	Time 	Gap 	Avg. Speed 	Race
1 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	42 	1:36.311	 	202.294 km/h	2
2 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	38 	1:36.624	+ 0.313 s	201.639 km/h	5
3 	6 	Nico Rosberg 	 	36 	1:37.326	+ 1.015 s	200.184 km/h	3
4 	13 	Pastor Maldonado 	 	43 	1:37.665	+ 1.354 s	199.490 km/h	15
5 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	38 	1:37.857	+ 1.546 s	199.098 km/h	1
6 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	16 	1:38.095	+ 1.784 s	198.615 km/h	4
7 	12 	Felipe Nasr 	 	43 	1:38.216	+ 1.905 s	198.370 km/h	12
8 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	39 	1:38.338	+ 2.027 s	198.124 km/h	8
9 	9 	Marcus Ericsson 	 	27 	1:38.422	+ 2.111 s	197.955 km/h	14
10 	27 	Nico Hülkenberg 	 	40 	1:38.653	+ 2.342 s	197.492 km/h	13
11 	26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	36 	1:38.725	+ 2.414 s	197.348 km/h	9
12 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	53 	1:38.948	+ 2.637 s	196.903 km/h	6
13 	14 	Fernando Alonso 	 	38 	1:38.992	+ 2.681 s	196.815 km/h	11
14 	19 	Felipe Massa 	 	12 	1:39.094	+ 2.783 s	196.613 km/h	10
15 	8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	34 	1:39.161	+ 2.850 s	196.480 km/h	7
16 	33 	Max Verstappen 	 	32 	1:39.607	+ 3.296 s	195.600 km/h	Ret
17 	55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr.	 	13 	1:40.651	+ 4.340 s	193.571 km/h	Ret
18 	28 	Will Stevens 	 	36 	1:41.759	+ 5.448 s	191.464 km/h	16
19 	98 	Roberto Merhi 	 	36 	1:42.033	+ 5.722 s	190.949 km/h	17
Source	Source	Source 	Source 	Source	Source 	Source 	Source 	Source
===Laps in the lead===
====Stints====
====Totals====
==Milestones==
* Lewis Hamilton's fourth consecutive pole position.
==Standings after race==
Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts 	+/- 	
1 	Lewis Hamilton 	93 	 	
2 	Nico Rosberg 	66 	1 	
3 	Sebastian Vettel 	65 	1 	
4 	Kimi Räikkönen 	42 	1 	
5 	Felipe Massa 	31 	1 	
6 	Valtteri Bottas 	30 	 	
7 	Daniel Ricciardo 	19 	1 	
8 	Felipe Nasr 	14 	1 	
9 	Romain Grosjean 	12 	1 	
10 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	6 	2 	
11 	Nico Hülkenberg 	6 	2 	
12 	Max Verstappen 	6 	1 	
13 	Sergio Pérez 	5 	2 	
14 	Marcus Ericsson 	5 	1 	
15 	Daniil Kvyat 	4 	1 	
16 	Fernando Alonso 	0 	1 	
17 	Jenson Button 	0 	1 	
18 	Will Stevens 	0 	1 	
19 	Roberto Merhi 	0 	1 	
20 	Pastor Maldonado 	0 	 	
Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source:
Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	
Pos. 	Team 	Pts 	+/- 	
1 	 	159 	 	
2 	 	107 	 	
3 	 	61 	 	
4 	 	23 	1 	
5 	 	19 	1 	
6 	 	12 	2 	
7 	 	12 	1 	
8 	 	11 	2 	
9 	 	0 	 	
10 	 	0 	 	
Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source:
==Notes==
==External links==
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Bahrain Grand Prix
Category:2015 Grands Prix