ReLIVE the Bahrain GP
ReLIVE the action from today's 2013 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, brought to you as it happened through McLaren LIVE:
On the Grid
As you might expect, it's a sunny and dry afternoon in Bahrain. We have air temp of 33°C but the tarmac's a lot warmer at 44°C.
The field is away on the formation lap. Both Jenson and Checo on Option tyres...
Race Start
Great start from both drivers. Jenson up to P9, Checo right behind him in P10.
Jenson radio talk: "OK Jenson, great start, you're currently the fastest car. You are the quickest car.”
P7 and P8 as both cars pass RAI.
Lap 4
The order on Lap 4: VET leads from ALO, ROS, DIR, MAS, WEB, Jenson, Checo, RAI, GRO.
Lap 7
Unusually for a race into its seventh lap, there's almost no field-spread. Everyone is still very tightly bunched. It's very competitive.
Lap 10
Jenson radio talk: “Box – you'll be racing cars at the exit.”
Jenson takes on the Prime tyre and exits behind ROS.
Checo radio talk: “Let's push, let's push.”
Lap 11
Checo radio talk: “Box this lap, confirm.”
Checo takes on the Prime tyre and exits into a busy stream of pitting cars.
Lap 12
Jenson passes ROS for P7 on the main straight.
Jenson radio talk: “OK Jenson, good job to get in front of that pack. There's clean air in front.”
Checo radio talk: “Let's have good pace on this stint and gain places.”
Lap 14
DIR leads followed by RAI. They have not stopped. Then it's WEB, VET, ROS, Jenson, MAS, GRO, Checo, HAM who all have.
Lap 16
Both cars within DRS range: Jenson chasing ROS for P4, Checo behind GRO in the battle for P7.
Similar stories up and down the field. It's very competitive today with tiny gaps everywhere and positions being hotly contested.
Lap 18
Everyone has stopped now and the order is VET, WEB, ROS, Jenson, GRO, Checo, DIR, HAM, HUL, RAI.
Lap 19
There's a train of cars forming behind ROS, with Jenson, GRO, Checo following closely behind.
Jenson gets off the train! Passes ROS for P3.
Lap 21
Checo radio talk: "Box this lap, box this lap. Confirm.”
Smooth stop and Prime tyres for Checo.
Lap 22
Jenson radio talk: “OK Jenson, box this lap, we will be racing for position at the exit.”
More Prime tyres for Jenson.
Checo battles ROS for P11. Great pass!
Checo radio talk: “Great driving, fantastic job!”
Lap 23
ROS back past Checo. This one could be a long scrap.
Lap 24
Checo and then Jenson both pass ROS. They're now P9 and P10.
Lap 25
Checo radio talk: "You're doing a really good job. Keep going. Car in front is HUL. Prime tyres, much older than ours.”
Lap 27
Jenson passes Checo for P6, using the DRS on the main straight.
Now Checo is in Jenson's DRS window. He has a little look at Turn One.
Lap 28
Jenson radio talk: "OK Jenson, car in front is WEB. We are racing WEB for position."
Lap 30
Really tight between Jenson and Checo, slight contact as that battle hard for P5.
Lap 31
The order in an slightly jumbled race is VET leading from DIR, RAI, WEB, Jenson, Checo, ROS, GRO, HAM, ALO.
Lap 32
Real wheel-to-wheel stuff between Jenson and Checo – and now GRO passes Checo for P6.
Checo radio talk: “You've got good pace, let's keep this going.”
Lap 34
GRO now past Jenson also.
Lap 35
Jenson radio talk: "OK Jenson, change of plan, Box this lap!"
Snap decision in the final stages of the lap, Jenson comes in and takes on more Prime tyres.
Lap 38
Checo radio talk: "OK Checo, let's push now. Time to push.”
Big speed differential between new tyres and ones 18 laps old.
Lap 40
More Prime tyres for Checo.
Checo radio talk: “You'll be racing cars on the exit.”
Lap 41
The order is VET, GRO, RAI, DIR, WEB, Jenson, ROS, HAM, Checo, ALO. Different two and three-stop strategies still to have an effect.
Checo radio talk: “ALO behind does not have DRS. His DRS is not working.”
Lap 47
Jenson radio talk: “Box this lap.”
Smart stop for Jenson, out on the Option tyre for a late-race burst.
Jenson has emerged from that stop in P10. ROS is 4.5s ahead. What can Jenson do in the last ten laps?
Checo radio talk: “WEB in front has tyres two laps older. HAM has tyres one lap older. We have eight laps after this one.”
Lap 50
VET leads from RAI, DIR, GRO, WEB, HAM, ALO, Checo, ROS, Jenson.
Checo radio talk: “WEB is struggling, we can definitely get him by the end.”
Lap 54
Checo passes ALO for P7. It's a real end-of-race scrap.
Lap 55
VET, RAI, GRO, DIR, WEB, HAM, Checo, ALO, ROS, Jenson. There's plenty more racing to do!
Checo radio talk: “OK Checo, two laps to go. You're P7, we can get another place, the cars in front are struggling, this is fantastic.”
Lap 57
Checo radio talk: "This is the last lap.”
Checo passes WEB on the final lap!
Chequered Flag
Checo finishes P6, Jenson P10 with four stops. The top ten is VET, RAI, GRO, DIR, HAM, Checo, WEB, ALO, ROS, Jenson.
Checo radio talk: “That was fantastic. Really, really well done.”
Jenson radio talk: “Checo was quick! Good to get the points on the board.”
That's the same top 3 as in 2012 but a very different race. That's one of the tightest, most closely fought races in a long, long time.
McLaren LIVE will be back for FP1 in Spain - join us then for more radio chat, telemetry and live data.
