2017 Bahrain Grand Prix
# 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix

The 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix (formally known as the 2017 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 16 April 2017 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. The race was the third round of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship and marked the thirteenth time that the Bahrain Grand Prix has been run as a round of the Formula One World Championship. The winner of the previous Bahrain Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg, did not compete as he had retired after the 2016 season. Sebastian Vettel entered the race as the championship leader, equal on points with Lewis Hamilton but recognised as leader on a count-back. Mercedes led the Constructors' Championship by one point over Ferrari.

## Background

### Driver changes

After missing the opening two rounds of the season due to injury, Pascal Wehrlein returned to competition with Sauber. Antonio Giovinazzi, who replaced Wehrlein in the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, resumed testing and reserve driver duties for Ferrari.

## Qualifying

| Pos. | Car no. | Driver | Constructor | Qualifying times | Qualifying times | Qualifying times | Final grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos. | Car no. | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Final grid |
| 1 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1:31.041 | 1:29.555 | 1:28.769 | 1 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:30.814 | 1:29.535 | 1:28.792 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1:31.037 | 1:29.596 | 1:29.247 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 1:31.667 | 1:30.497 | 1:29.545 | 4 |
| 5 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:30.988 | 1:29.843 | 1:29.567 | 5 |
| 6 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 1:30.904 | 1:30.307 | 1:29.687 | 6 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault | 1:31.057 | 1:30.169 | 1:29.842 | 7 |
| 8 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 1:31.373 | 1:30.677 | 1:30.074 | 8 |
| 9 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 1:31.691 | 1:30.857 | 1:30.763 | 9 |
| 10 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 1:31.458 | 1:30.899 | 1:31.074 | 10 |
| 11 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso | 1:31.531 | 1:30.923 | | 11 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 1:31.748 | 1:31.168 | | 12 |
| 13 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:31.995 | 1:31.414 | | 13 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 1:31.774 | 1:31.684 | | 14 |
| 15 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Honda | 1:32.054 | No time | | 15 |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Toro Rosso | 1:32.118 | | | 16 |
| 17 | 2 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Honda | 1:32.313 | | | 17 |
| 18 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Force India-Mercedes | 1:32.318 | | | 18 |
| 19 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:32.543 | | | 19 |
| 20 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1:32.900 | | | 20 |
| 107% time: 1:37.170 ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||

## Race

At the start, Bottas led away with Vettel in hot pursuit after he beat Hamilton into 2nd off the line, Vettel pitted early as did Verstappen, however Verstappen had a brake failure soon after and had to retire from the race. A collision between Stroll and Sainz occurred and with Stroll's car stuck on the track the safety car was deployed to clear it away. Hamilton then pitted but was penalised 5 seconds for holding up Ricciardo into the pits, he served his penalty at his second stop costing him a chance of winning the race. Alonso's frustration boiled over in a radio message saying he has never had so little power in his life before later retiring with engine problems. Vettel won from Hamilton who was let through into 2nd by Bottas with 10 laps to go.

### Race classification

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 57 | 1:33:53.374 | 3 | 25 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 57 | +6.660 | 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 57 | +20.397 | 1 | 15 |
| 4 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 57 | +22.475 | 5 | 12 |
| 5 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 57 | +39.346 | 4 | 10 |
| 6 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 57 | +54.326 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Force India-Mercedes | 57 | +1:02.606 | 18 | 6 |
| 8 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 57 | +1:14.865 | 9 | 4 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault | 57 | +1:20.188 | 7 | 2 |
| 10 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 57 | +1:35.711 | 14 | 1 |
| 11 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | Sauber-Ferrari | 56 | +1 Lap | 13 | |
| 12 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso | 56 | +1 Lap | 11 | |
| 13 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 56 | +1 Lap | 10 | |
| 14 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Honda | 54 | Power unit | 15 | |
| Ret | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 50 | Gearbox | 19 | |
| Ret | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Toro Rosso | 12 | Collision | 16 | |
| Ret | 18 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 12 | Collision | 12 | |
| Ret | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 11 | Brakes | 6 | |
| Ret | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 8 | Electrical | 20 | |
| DNS | 2 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Honda | 0 | Water pressure | — | |
| Source: ||||||||

**Notes**

* ^1 – Fernando Alonso retired from the race, but was classified as he had completed 90% of the race distance.
* ^2 – Stoffel Vandoorne did not line up on the grid as a result of a power unit issue.

## Championship standings after the race

| | Pos. | Driver | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | 68 |
| | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | 61 |
| 1 | 3 | Valtteri Bottas | 38 |
| 1 | 4 | Kimi Räikkönen | 34 |
| 2 | 5 | Max Verstappen | 25 |
| Source: ||||
| | Pos. | Constructor | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Ferrari | 102 |
| 1 | 2 | Mercedes | 99 |
| | 3 | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 47 |
| 1 | 4 | Force India-Mercedes | 17 |
| 1 | 5 | Williams-Mercedes | 16 |
| Source: ||||

* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
