Team by team analysis of Sunday's Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix (listed in championship
order):
MCLAREN (Lewis Hamilton 2, Fernando Alonso 5) Hamilton, starting from the front row for the first time, became the first driver to finish on the podium in all of his first three races. Alonso made up one place at the start to run third before falling back. McLaren will have to wait for their 150th grand prix victory but still lead the constructors' championship with Alonso and Hamilton level on points with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the top of the drivers' standings.
FERRARI (Felipe Massa 1, Kimi Raikkonen 3) Massa got his critics in Italy off his back with an important win from pole position, and with fastest lap as well. It was his third career win. Raikkonen got past Alonso at the first pitstop and then stayed third.
BMW SAUBER (Nick Heidfeld 4, Robert Kubica 6) The team took an eight point haul to consolidate third place. Heidfeld overtook Alonso and has now finished fourth in all three races so far this year. Kubica collected his first points of the season but was slowed by a faulty fuel filler cover which stayed open from the start.
RENAULT (Giancarlo Fisichella 8, Heikki Kovalainen 9) Fisichella maintained his run of scoring finishes, extending it to eight races, but one point was a poor haul for champions who have won in Bahrain for the past two years. "Both drivers did a strong job but the car doesn't have the pace," said team boss Flavio Briatore.
TOYOTA (Jarno Trulli 7, Ralf Schumacher 12) Toyota's third successive points finish. Trulli dedicated his points to son Enzo, celebrating his second birthday. Schumacher made a poor start and struggled in traffic.
WILLIAMS (Nico Rosberg 10, Alexander Wurz 11) Both drivers finished in the same places that they started. Wurz struggled for grip, sliding in the corners. Rosberg had problems with the brakes.
RED BULL (David Coulthard and Mark Webber retired) Coulthard started 21st and was up to seventh before falling back and retiring with a right rear drive shaft failure. Webber also ran strongly but had an open fuel flap slowing him from his second stint. He then went out with a gearbox failure.
HONDA (Rubens Barrichello 13, Jenson Button retired) Button lasted three corners before being squeezed out by Super Aguri's Sato, colliding with Spyker's Adrian Sutil and Toro Rosso's Scott Speed before the car spun and stalled. Barrichello struggled with a poorly handling car.
SUPER AGURI (Anthony Davidson 16, Takuma Sato retired) Both drivers suffered engine troubles, with neither seeing the chequered flag despite Davidson being classified in his best race to date.
TORO ROSSO (Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed retired) Liuzzi had an hydraulics failure after collecting a drive-through penalty for overtaking while under safety car conditions. He said his radio was not working. Speed retired with Button at turn three.
SPYKER (Christijan Albers 14, Adrian Sutil 15) The team, still to score a point, hailed their best result of the season so far. Sutil was caught in the first lap clash and had to pit for a new front wing and nose, losing three laps for extensive repairs. Albers struggled with an hydraulic problem for the last 10 laps. (Reuters)
MCLAREN (Lewis Hamilton 2, Fernando Alonso 5) Hamilton, starting from the front row for the first time, became the first driver to finish on the podium in all of his first three races. Alonso made up one place at the start to run third before falling back. McLaren will have to wait for their 150th grand prix victory but still lead the constructors' championship with Alonso and Hamilton level on points with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the top of the drivers' standings.
FERRARI (Felipe Massa 1, Kimi Raikkonen 3) Massa got his critics in Italy off his back with an important win from pole position, and with fastest lap as well. It was his third career win. Raikkonen got past Alonso at the first pitstop and then stayed third.
BMW SAUBER (Nick Heidfeld 4, Robert Kubica 6) The team took an eight point haul to consolidate third place. Heidfeld overtook Alonso and has now finished fourth in all three races so far this year. Kubica collected his first points of the season but was slowed by a faulty fuel filler cover which stayed open from the start.
RENAULT (Giancarlo Fisichella 8, Heikki Kovalainen 9) Fisichella maintained his run of scoring finishes, extending it to eight races, but one point was a poor haul for champions who have won in Bahrain for the past two years. "Both drivers did a strong job but the car doesn't have the pace," said team boss Flavio Briatore.
TOYOTA (Jarno Trulli 7, Ralf Schumacher 12) Toyota's third successive points finish. Trulli dedicated his points to son Enzo, celebrating his second birthday. Schumacher made a poor start and struggled in traffic.
WILLIAMS (Nico Rosberg 10, Alexander Wurz 11) Both drivers finished in the same places that they started. Wurz struggled for grip, sliding in the corners. Rosberg had problems with the brakes.
RED BULL (David Coulthard and Mark Webber retired) Coulthard started 21st and was up to seventh before falling back and retiring with a right rear drive shaft failure. Webber also ran strongly but had an open fuel flap slowing him from his second stint. He then went out with a gearbox failure.
HONDA (Rubens Barrichello 13, Jenson Button retired) Button lasted three corners before being squeezed out by Super Aguri's Sato, colliding with Spyker's Adrian Sutil and Toro Rosso's Scott Speed before the car spun and stalled. Barrichello struggled with a poorly handling car.
SUPER AGURI (Anthony Davidson 16, Takuma Sato retired) Both drivers suffered engine troubles, with neither seeing the chequered flag despite Davidson being classified in his best race to date.
TORO ROSSO (Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed retired) Liuzzi had an hydraulics failure after collecting a drive-through penalty for overtaking while under safety car conditions. He said his radio was not working. Speed retired with Button at turn three.
SPYKER (Christijan Albers 14, Adrian Sutil 15) The team, still to score a point, hailed their best result of the season so far. Sutil was caught in the first lap clash and had to pit for a new front wing and nose, losing three laps for extensive repairs. Albers struggled with an hydraulic problem for the last 10 laps. (Reuters)