MERCEDES SUFFERS DEFEAT IN THE DESERT
Despiteallthemercedeshype,ferrariwinsagain
How quickly a mood can change in Formula 1. From despair to hope; from fatalistic resignation to renewed fascination.
Amid the shifting sands of a desert kingdom, F1 came to realise that maybe – despite the coldest fears born of Mercedes dominance in winter testing – we’ll have closely fought races this year and a championship battle.
Barely a month ago there had seemed little prospect of anything other than a silver streak to two more world titles. Then came Sebastian Vettel’s Melbourne smash-and-grab. Then a Ferrari front-row lockout in Bahrain, and now another win for Vettel.
Circuit: C Bahrain International Circuit Laps: 57 Race distance: 191.84 miles Lap: 3.37 miles Lap record: Michael Schumacher 2004 – 1m30.252s 2017 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)