Lewis secured his 95th F1 victory today - his fourth in Bahrain and eleventh of the 2020 season. Valtteri suffered a puncture at the race restart, but fought through the field to finish P8.
Today's result marks the 150th race led in the 225th race start for the Mercedes works team in F1.
Lewis (332 points) leads the Drivers' Championship by 131 points from Valtteri (201 points). The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (533 points) leads Red Bull Racing (274 points) by 259 points in the Constructors' Championship.
Richard Warrington, no. 2 mechanic on car #77, accepted the Constructors' trophy on behalf of the team.
Toto Wolff: First of all, I want to say thank you to the FIA and F1 for having given us these incredibly safe racing cars. Today's events show that the introduction of the Halo was tremendously important. I also want to thank the marshals as well as Dr. Ian Roberts and Alan van der Merwe who helped Romain escape the scene. As far as I know, Romain is ok, and I wish him the best possible recovery and I hope his family is alright despite having to witness these awful pictures. For our team, it was another bittersweet race; on the one hand, I'm very happy for the team and Lewis. The car showed strong performance today and the strategy team was on its A game. Unfortunately, Valtteri had more bad luck this weekend with his puncture. We need to find a way to break the pattern of him losing races for reasons that are beyond his control. Valtteri could have won a few more races this year and it's just a shame that he needs to cope with these results. But it will make him stronger and now he just needs to give his best in these last two races and secure P2 in the championship. I have no doubt that next year will be very strong for him. I'm also sorry for the disappointment of Racing Point, but happy that Lance escaped unhurt. We need to analyse what happened on Sergio's car and investigate to make sure we can avoid these DNFs in the future.
Andrew Shovlin: It was a huge relief to see that Romain was ok. The incident looked terrifying, but thankfully he was able to get out safely. It's good that the FIA will review all areas to find out what lessons can be learnt. Well done also to Alan and Ian in the medical car along with the marshals, it was a very rapid and brave response from all of them. Congratulations to Lewis, he managed the race brilliantly and was just about able to keep it under control, but the extra Hard tyre that Red Bull carried into the race left us with a bit of a weakness. The final stint was a bit awkward as there were moments in the race where a Safety Car would have been difficult to manage; however, by the time the Safety Car did come towards the end, we knew the race wouldn't restart so we kept Lewis out on his old tyres. Valtteri had more than his fair share of bad luck; he had a poor getaway from the grid which just looks like it was low grip on the P2 spot, there wasn't anything obviously wrong with the start itself. He then picked up a front right puncture on the opening lap after the restart, so we had no choice but to stop and that dropped him to the back. The recovery from there was a bit difficult, we're clearly carrying a bigger wing than most and it was tricky to get through the cars quickly. To top his day off, he picked up another puncture towards the end of the race, so he'll no doubt be looking forward to a less eventful race next week. We've got the short circuit to contend with and a few areas that we need to be looking to improve, but it should be an interesting challenge.
The most important news to emerge from today's 16th Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit is that Romain Grosjean escaped with only minor injuries from a terrible accident in which his Haas went through a barrier and caught fire. The halo, the car's survival cell, the speedy reaction from the marshals and the immediate intervention of the Medical Car crew all played their part as did the driver's ability to emerge from the car unaided. The incident confirmed yet again the very high safety levels of current Formula 1 cars, which is mainly down to the efforts of the FIA.
It was a disappointing race for Scuderia Ferrari, which brought home just a single point thanks to a tenth place finish for Charles Leclerc. Sebastian Vettel was 13th, having been forced to spend most of the race towards the back of the field.
The race was stopped for over an hour while the barriers were replaced. At the restart, Charles got away well to move up to seventh. He then lost a few places and found himself fighting around tenth place, which is where he eventually finished, having struggled to find a good pace especially in the early stages. Sebastian ended up towards the back of the pack, due to the fact he had to avoid Lance Stroll's overturned car on the opening lap and spent his race in the lower half of the field, unable to move up into the points.
Mattia Binotto, Team Principal: "The outcome of today's race is secondary to the relief we felt when Romain Grosjean got out of his car after that terrifying accident. The fact that he suffered only minor injuries is a testament to the amazing job done by the FIA in terms of safety and the courage and professionalism of all those involved on that front at a Grand Prix. But for the progress made in recent years and above all the introduction of the halo, we might have been commenting on a tragedy.
"As for our race, it was disappointing, but we had seen right from Friday that we would struggle this weekend. Now we have a few days in which to analyse all the data carefully and see how we can improve the car's handling for next weekend. As we stay in Sakhir, the track conditions and temperatures should be the same, but we will be racing on a different layout for the very first time, which could present us with an opportunity. It will be up to us to grasp it and to do better than we did today."
Christian Horner: "Firstly it's a huge relief that Romain Grosjean is okay this evening and all credit goes to the FIA and particularly Ian, Alan and the marshals that were there without hesitation to help extract Romain from the car. They are truly heroes. We sometimes underestimate the role that the FIA play but today Romain owes his life to that collective work and the safety measures in place. For our drivers, Max extracted every ounce of performance from the car with second place and our first podium at this track since 2013. We did an extra stop at the end, because we could, which helped us achieve an extra point for Fastest Lap. Alex meanwhile drove another strong race. He was unlucky to lose out a bit to Sergio at the start and there was very little between them today. Sergio's misfortune was Alex's good fortune, giving him third place on the podium to secure our first double podium since the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix. Today's result also secures second in the Constructors' Championship for the Team which is encouraging and it enables us to now focus on trying to get both drivers further up the standings in the remaining races."
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: "The most important thing that comes out of the Bahrain Grand Prix is that Romain and Lance could both walk away after their accidents today. It's a reminder for all of us that we should never lose sight of the risk our drivers are taking each time they leave the garage. The FIA, F1, the circuits and track marshals all around the world, together with the teams, have done great work to ensure Formula 1 has a very good level of safety. We need to remain aware that the sport will never be 100 per cent safe, and keep working to improve it.
"Well done today to both our drivers and the entire team, both here at the track and back home at the MTC, and to our colleagues from Renault. From P9 and P15 on the grid to P4 and P5 at the flag was another great recovery drive and gave us 22 significant Constructors' Championship points. It was a well-executed race today, with the right calls in terms of tyres and race strategy and good work in the pit-stops. We can't get carried away by it. Our target for the final two races must be to qualify higher up the grid - and we're looking forward to attempting that next week when we're back here in Sakhir, albeit racing on a very different circuit."
Renault DP World F1 Team scored eight points from an eventful Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix with Daniel Ricciardo seventh and Esteban Ocon ninth under the lights at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Racing, however, took a secondary concern today following two separate incidents in the Grand Prix. The first involved Haas F1 Team Driver Romain Grosjean, who crashed heavily into the safety barriers on the first lap. The second, shortly after the race was restarted, saw Lance Stroll's Racing Point car flipped on its head.
Renault DP World F1 Team wishes former driver Romain and Lance a swift recovery from the incidents.
It was far from plain sailing in the 57-lap race for the team with positions swapping and changing throughout with many drivers committing to multiple pit-stops after the second restart.
Daniel pitted on lap 17 for Hard tyres and again on lap 37 for the same compound as he finished in seventh place. Esteban - after a quick start on the second restart - pitted for Mediums on lap 18 and again on lap 35 for Hards, which took him to the end. Both drivers duelled on track momentarily with Daniel able to pull away to chase down sixth place. His efforts fell short as the race finished under the Safety Car after a problem for Sergio Perez with Esteban holding on to ninth.
Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal: "After a very promising qualifying with both drivers into the top ten on Medium tyres, Daniel starting sixth and Esteban seventh, this race is clearly disappointing. We lost positions during the two starts, the first with Esteban and the second with Daniel, which hampered our race and impacted our strategy with early stops. In the second stint, both cars failed to find the pace and we will have to understand why. By the end of the race, Daniel was on the pace again and would have finished sixth without the safety car intervention. The final result of this weekend is not up to our ambitions and we need to regroup very quickly for the last two races. I also wish Romain a speedy recovery after this terrible accident and I hope to see him back behind the wheel before the end of the season."
Claudio Balestri (Chief Engineer - Vehicle Performance): "Tonight's race was really eventful, with a red flag on the first lap and two Safety Cars. First of all, we are happy that neither accidents, especially the first one for Grosjean, didn't have any major consequence, it was such a relief to see him getting out of the car. As for our race, we changed our strategy at the restart to try to get an advantage from two new sets of the Hard compound which we had available. With Daniil, we decided to be more aggressive, starting on the Option at the restart and using the two new sets of Hards later in the race. Despite the 10-second penalty due to the collision with Stroll, he was able to arrive just out of the points in P11. As for Pierre, he was able to manage the tyres very well to afford only one-stop, finishing the race in a well-deserved P6. We now switch our thoughts to the next race which will again be held here at the Shakir circuit, but on the new challenging outer-circuit, where we expect another close midfield battle."
Franz Tost (Team Principal): "Today we saw a very heavy accident at the start for Romain Grosjean, who, fortunately, was able to jump out of the car without any major injuries. Without a strong monocoque and the halo, the consequences might have been much worse, so a big thank you to the FIA for constantly improving the safety of the cars. As for our race, we started from P8 with Pierre and P10 with Daniil. Both of them didn't have a great start and lost some positions, especially at the first corner. Then Daniil had the collision with Romain, who approached from the left to the right-hand side of the track, touching Daniil's front left wheel before going off into the barriers. After the red flag, Daniil restarted on the Options. Then he had an incident with Stroll, who, in my opinion, came quite aggressive to the inside and I don't think Daniil could have done anything to avoid the collision. He received a 10-second penalty and his race was compromised. Daniil wasn't quite happy with the Option tyre as he felt he didn't have enough grip, so we called him in again to switch to the Base tyre. Again, his car didn't perform that well on the Base tyre either. In the end, Daniil finished just out of the points in P11. With Pierre, we changed our strategy and for the second start we sent him out on Base tyre, calculating that maybe he could pull off a one-stop. It was a bit risky, but everything worked very well on the Base tyre and we called him in on lap 25 to change to another set of the Base compound. It was a successful decision because he really felt good on that tyre, and he could finish the race in P6. Pierre and the team deserved a rewarding result as they did a great job all weekend. Last but not least, it's good to see Red Bull Racing achieving a double podium finish today. I'm very pleased for them, especially for Alex after his accident on Friday, as this will be a boost for his confidence."
Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal: "A tough evening in Bahrain. Checo was cruelly denied a podium after an MGU-K issue forced us to park the car with three laps remaining. Up to that point, he had driven a flawless race, managing the tyres perfectly, and running comfortably in third place. Lance was just as unlucky - being eliminated through no fault of his own after Kvyat flipped him over. It was a scary moment, but fortunately Lance was checked at the medical centre and is ok. It makes the fight for third in the championship more difficult, but there are still two races to go, plenty of points available, and we know we have a competitive car. We will give everything we have to recover the lost points today and reclaim third in the championship. Regarding Romain's accident, we share the relief of the entire paddock that he only has minor injuries. It was a frightening accident and credit to the FIA and sport as a whole for the safety standards we have worked hard to deliver in recent times."
A dramatic Bahrain Grand Prix saw a lot of action and heart-in-the-mouth moments, especially at both ends of the race. The first start saw Antonio Giovinazzi, sitting in P16 on the grid, make another one of his trademark rocket starts to make it up to 11th, only for the race to be red flagged after a horrifying crash to Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman's car crashed heavily on the opening lap, bursting into flames as it split in two: thankfully, the whole grid was able to sigh a breath of relief as Romain walked away, shaken but safe, from the scene.
At the restart, a lengthy time after the red flag was shown to allow for repairs to the barrier to take place, it was Kimi Raikkonen who had the better start, leaping into P13. Unfortunately, damage sustained by the Finn in the opening stages effectively compromised the remainder of his race: hits to the floor affected the C39's aerodynamics and resulted in Kimi having to fight with a hand tied behind his back for the rest of the evening.
Antonio, on the other hand, made some good progress and spent most of the race just outside the points, fighting with the Ferraris and holding his own against the rivals around him. With just a handful of laps to go, a late safety car, called to deal with Sergio Perez's retirement, neutralised the race and the team elected to fit Antonio, who was in P13 at the time, with new soft tyres that would have given him an advantage in a putative restart. Unfortunately, the race ended behind Safety Car and the Italian couldn't make his tyre advantage count.
On a night of high drama, we weren't able to spring a surprise under the Sakhir lights. We will get a new chance next week, when we race on the "outer" loop of the Bahrain International Circuit.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: "Before any consideration can be made about the sporting result, it's important to express our relief in seeing Romain Grosjean walk away with relatively little harm from such a terrifying crash. Seeing the images on our TV screens was a breath-taking experience and the outcome of this incident is testament to the great strides made by the FIA and F1 in making our sport safer. There can never be complacency when safety is involved, but it's heartening to see lessons are being put to good practice. As for the race, it was an unlucky night in which we had any opportunity of a good result taken away from us by a few unfortunate circumstances. Antonio's great launch was nullified by the red flag and Kimi's race came undone as he suffered damage in both race starts. It's been a challenging weekend but all we can do now is focus on next week's race."
Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen finished 17th while Romain Grosjean was involved in a horrific opening lap accident at the Bahrain Grand Prix, held Sunday at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Grosjean started the race from 19th on the grid but was involved in contact through the exit of turn 3 and suffered a heavy impact with the barriers at substantial speed. The VF-20 erupted into flames upon impact and was torn in half but Grosjean was able to extricate himself from the cockpit before quickly being tended to by the FIA's medical crew. Grosjean was fully conscious at all times - the Frenchman eventually taken by helicopter to the Bahrain Defence Force hospital where he is being treated for burns to the back of both hands. He will remain in hospital overnight as a precautionary measure.
Magnussen took the start from 18th place on medium tires but the race was halted in the wake of team-mate Grosjean's accident. At the restart Magnussen strived to gain positions but picked up damage to his front wing when trying to avoid the rolling Racing Point of Lance Stroll. Magnussen came in for a new front wing, changed to the hard compound, and then made a second stop on lap 28, again taking on a second set of hard rubber.
Magnussen ducked into the pits for a third time on lap 54 under the Safety Car, moving onto softs, but the race did not resume as the 57-lap distance was reached before Sergio Perez's Racing Point could be safely retrieved. Magnussen was classified 17th.
Haas F1 Team will be back in action for the Sakhir Grand Prix, to be held at the Bahrain International Circuit, from December 4 to 6.
Guenther Steiner: "We got fortunate today. The good news is that Romain is doing well considering what happened. We are thankful for all the safety advancements in modern Formula 1 in order to protect the drivers. We send a thank you to the FIA safety team and the marshals who were on-site immediately to help Romain get away from the scene. As I said, I think we got lucky - there's not a lot more to say. We hope Romain will recover quickly from the injuries he sustained."
George Russell finished 12th and Nicholas Latifi 14th in the Bahrain Grand Prix. George started 14th on the medium Pirelli tyre, with Nicholas lining up 20th on the hard compound.
The race was red flagged on lap one due to an horrific crash for Romain Grosjean, with both drivers taking a new set of medium tyres in the over hour-long delay.
George subsequently ran a two-stop race, pitting first on lap 20 for the hard Pirelli tyre, and finally for the medium compound on lap 39. Nicholas also stopped twice during the race, initially on lap 21 for the medium compound tyre, and once again for the hard on lap 37.
Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance: Firstly, we send our best wishes to Romain Grosjean and Lance Stroll, as well as our colleagues at Haas and Racing Point. The incidents that each suffered were unusual and we are thankful that they each walked away without serious injury.
Secondly, Bahrain delivered a good race with a range of strategies and some good overtaking. We are pleased with our performance today and we have a lot of positives to take away, some of which we can apply to the race next week. Both drivers completed strong races, following difficult initial race starts. It was a shame to finish such a good race behind the safety car, and again close to the points, however, it was a strong weekend overall and we have set ourselves up nicely for the challenge of the Sakhir Grand Prix next week.
The race had to be restarted after more than an hour's delay for barrier repairs following a massive accident for Haas driver Romain Grosjean, from which he thankfully emerged with only minor injuries.
The re-start rules allowed teams to make repairs and change tyres. Only four drivers chose not to change tyres: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) and Lando Norris (McLaren).
After the re-start (which counted from lap three) the top nine were all on the medium tyre, with AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly the highest-placed driver on hard in 10th.
There was a safety car after the re-start. This had the effect of lengthening the stints - also considering the relatively cool temperatures of 25 degrees ambient and 26 degrees on track - by reducing thermal degradation as well as wear.
Hamilton won the race from pole with a two-stop strategy, re-starting on the same P Zero Yellow medium tyres as he had on the original grid, switching to used mediums once more after 19 laps, and finishing with a 22-lap stint on the P Zero White hard. He took the chequered flag under the safety car.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished second, adopted a different strategy, using White hard new tyres for two middle stints before finishing on used mediums. He was the only driver - apart from Haas's Kevin Magnussen - who changed tyres four times.
The three compounds selected for this year were one step softer than those seen in Bahrain last year, contributing to a higher than usual number of pit stops.
Mario Isola: "First and obviously foremost, we're just relieved that Romain Grosjean seems to have only minor injuries after the massive accident on the opening lap. Everything else that happened today is irrelevant in comparison, and it speaks so much about modern safety standards that this accident was survivable. In terms of the race, strategies were obviously influenced by the lengthy interruptions, with the delayed race taking place later in the evening. This meant that the soft tyre performed more strongly than anticipated, as Carlos Sainz showed in his first stint after the re-start, while the medium tyre stints could be extended too. This was demonstrated by Hamilton, who completed two quite long stints on it before finishing on the hard. Throughout the race, we saw a variety of different strategies, with Gasly stopping twice for two sets of hard tyres on his way to P6, for example."
