2010 Bahrain Grand Prix

The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix (formally the 2010 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix ) [ 3 ] was a Formula One motor race held on 14 March 2010 at the Bahrain International Circuit , Sakhir , Bahrain . It was the seventh Bahrain Grand Prix and the opening round of the 2010 Formula One season . It was the first time since 2006 that Bahrain had hosted the opening round and the race took place on a lengthened layout of the track. [ 1 ]

2009 World Drivers' Champion Jenson Button made his debut for McLaren after changing teams from 2009 Constructors' Champion team Brawn in November 2009. Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher made his return to Formula One with Mercedes, Felipe Massa returned for Ferrari after his head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix , and Timo Glock returned with the Virgin team following his accident at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix .

All the previous winners of the event were present: Jenson Button won the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix , with the Ferrari pair of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa both being two-time winners at this circuit. Schumacher won the first event in 2004.

At 24 drivers and cars, this was the first time more than 22 cars had started Grand Prix since the 1995 Japanese Grand Prix (which also had 24 starters) and the largest event entry list since the 1997 Australian Grand Prix weekend where 24 cars were entered (but only 21 cars started that race).

Adrian Sutil set the fastest time for the Force India team in the first session of free practice on Friday morning. Fernando Alonso ( Ferrari ) was second, ahead of Robert Kubica ( Renault ), Felipe Massa in the other Ferrari, and the two McLaren drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton . On his return to Formula One, Michael Schumacher set the tenth-fastest time for Mercedes , two positions behind teammate Nico Rosberg . Of the new teams, both Lotus drivers and Timo Glock set times, but Lucas ...

In session 2 of free practice, Nico Rosberg set the fastest time, with Hamilton in second and Schumacher came third. Senna was struggling to match the pace of the fastest GP2 Asia Series drivers, but eventually did so, four seconds off the pace of the Virgins. [ citation needed ]

In the Saturday free practice session, Alonso in the Ferrari set the fastest time of 1:54.099, 0.269 seconds faster than Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes. Hispania's Karun Chandhok failed to participate in the practice session due to a hydraulic problem. [ 7 ] Elsewhere, the Virgin of Glock lost its left-front wheel in the middle of the session, with the problem being attributed to an under-torqued airgun. [ 8 ]

Red Bull 's Sebastian Vettel took pole late in the third session, edging out the Ferraris of Massa and Alonso, with 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton in fourth. Mercedes's Nico Rosberg and seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher were fifth and seventh respectively, with Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull teammate Mark Webber splitting them. Jenson Button could only manage eighth place, while ninth and tenth were taken by Robert Kubica and Adrian Sutil in the remaining Renault and Force India. [ 9...

The first corner of the first lap saw Mark Webber's engine release copious amounts of oil smoke, triggering a sequence of events that saw Adrian Sutil and Robert Kubica spin around and fall to the back of the field. The first lap was otherwise clean, with Sebastian Vettel quickly converting his pole position into the race lead. Fernando Alonso got past teammate Felipe Massa , to get second, and both Mercedes drivers also gained a place, with Nico Rosberg fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton , and Mich...

The first round of pit stops also proved to be the only round of stops, with Vettel stretching out enough of a lead to prevent the Ferraris from leap-frogging them. Elsewhere, good work from the McLaren crew allowed both their drivers to gain a place in the stops; Hamilton on Rosberg, and Jenson Button on Webber. The list of retirements grew on lap 23 when Pedro de la Rosa in the second BMW Sauber was also struck by a hydraulic issue.

Vettel continued to lead comfortably, two seconds ahead of Alonso and a further three ahead of Massa. However, he began to noticeably slow down during the latter part of the race due to a problem that was later identified within the team as a problem with a spark plug, and was quickly passed by the two Ferraris and Hamilton, and spent the rest of the race trying to hold Rosberg at bay. Alonso went on to win the race, joining Juan Manuel Fangio , Giancarlo Baghetti , Mario Andretti , Nigel Mansel...

The new section of the circuit used by Formula One for the first time also drew criticism from both drivers and fans alike, with most claiming the added corners offered little in the way of passing opportunities. For the next Bahrain Grand Prix in 2012 , Formula One would revert to using the original Grand Prix Circuit.

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