Formula 1: Looking back at the last five Bahrain races

Formula 1 racing in Bahrain during the V6 Hybrid era has been great. Will the Bahrain show continue in 2018? Look back at the last five before lights out.

Formula 1 racing in the Middle East never had a foothold until 2004, when the F1 calendar added Bahrain, a small island country in the Persian Gulf off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. The public has had a love-hate relationship with the Bahrain Grand Prix since, praising it for being the best organized, but also condemning it for the human rights violations that plague the region.

The controversy reached a fever pitch when the 2011 race was cancelled. As we prepare for the 2018 edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix, take a look back at the last five contested at the 5.412-kilometer (3.36-mile) Bahrain International Circuit.

2013

The 2013 race featured Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg on pole and Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel in 2nd place. A re-energized Red Bull team came ready for a battle after a disappointing showing in China, but there weren’t any major battles. Rosberg led into turn 1 and the next two laps before Vettel took control.

The German led eight laps before an early pit stop. He would cycle through back into the lead on lap 15 while Rosberg dropped off massively. Vettel controlled the race for the last 43 laps. All told, the then three-time world champion led 51 of the race’s 57 laps and cruised to a comfortable 9.111-second victory over the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, with the latter collecting his first F1 podium by finishing in 3rd place.

2014

The 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix was arguably one of the best races in a long time. It had everything: teammates battling each other wheel-to-wheel, a dramatic accident that saw Esteban Gutierrez’s Sauber flipped 360 degrees by Pastor Maldonado’s Lotus, a jubilant podium as Lewis Hamilton won the teammate battle against Nico Rosberg, and Sergio Perez redeeming himself with a podium finish with Force India after a forgettable stint at McLaren.

2015

2015 was the Lewis Hamilton show and it continued in Bahrain. Hamilton led a total of 49 laps in three separate stints and while there were officially five lead changes, the result was well in hand for the then two-time world champion.

It helped, too, that no major incidents brought out a safety car, allowing Hamilton to win fairly comfortably over Kimi Raikkonen and teammate Nico Rosberg. However, Hamilton did admit managing pace and tires was tricky. McLaren’s Jenson Button did not start due to an electrical issue.

2016

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes 1-2 for the 2016 race, and it was Rosberg’s race to control. The German got a great start and led into turn 1 then for the next 39 laps as he managed his tires. Hamilton led one lap during Rosberg’s only pit stop before the eventual 2016 world champion took back the lead.

Hamilton fell to 3rd place after Ferrari used the undercut to get Kimi Raikkonen out before Hamilton. Rosberg would win, finishing over 10 seconds ahead of Raikkonen and Hamilton. Raikkonen’s teammate Sebastian Vettel did not start, and neither did Renault Sport’s Jolyon Palmer.

2017

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For 2017, Lewis Hamilton was beaten by new teammate Valtteri Bottas for pole, but he still helped to lock out the front row for Mercedes. While Bottas led the first 13 laps, a strong 19-lap stint by Sebastian Vettel, who started in 3rd place and pitted under the safety car, was the difference. After Hamilton pitted on lap 41, the German took initiative and pulled away. Vettel’s 6.660-second margin of victory led to a reverse podium, with Hamilton holding station in 2nd while Bottas dropped to 3rd after starting on pole. While the race up front wasn’t too exciting, Sergio Perez continued his recent run of form in Bahrain, climbing 11 places to finish 7th after starting in 18th.

Next: Top 10 Formula One drivers of all-time

Will the excellent racing produced by the V6 Hybrids continue in Bahrain in 2018 or will the racing at Bahrain become stagnant?