Jenson Button's third victory

Il fait chaud, très chaud à Bahreïn au moment où les pilotes s?installent sur la grille de départ, les Toyota de Jarno Trulli et Timo Glock sur la première ligne, devant Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button.

The two Toyotas took the lead, Glock ahead of Trulli, but Lewis Hamilton takes full advantage of the SREC and rises to third position. He overtakes Trulli before the end of the first round, but Trulli passes him again. Button also finds the opening. Timo Glock therefore completed the first lap ahead of Jarno Trulli, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, handicapped by a car with a heavier fuel load.

After two eventful laps, the pattern for the start of the race fell into place. Glock and Trulli are the fastest on the track, while the leader of the World Championship F1, Jenson Button, resists well. A little further Lewis Hamilton contains Sebastian Vettel. Rubens Barrichello, sixth, is in contact with the two men. Behind them, Kimi Räikkönen leads a hunting group, followed by Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg, 9th.

The Toyotas are not widening the expected gap. Jenson Button increases the pace and is less than 5 seconds behind the leader after 9 laps. Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello resisted well. The German increases his pace lap after lap, while his team asks him to take care of the wear of his tires.

On the 11th lap, Timo Glock was the first to refuel. The team added a lot of fuel to the Toyota, which emerged, on “medium” tires, behind Nico Rosberg. Jarno Trulli imitates him a lap later. The Italian uses less fuel than his teammate and puts on “medium” tires. The Toyotas cede command of the race to Jenson Button. Trulli comes out in 6th place ahead of Fernando Alonso. The double F1 World Champion takes all the risks and overtakes Jarno Trulli thanks to a superb maneuver on the outside.

Rubens Barrichello stopped on the 14th lap and again opted for soft tires. One lap later it was Button and Hamilton's turn to make their first stop. Both men choose the softer tires.

While Sebastien Vettel, first, and Kimi Räikkönen, second, have not yet refueled, in the peloton Rubens Barrichello loses precious time by bumping into Nelson Piquet, who also has to return to the pits.

Sebatian Vettel waits until the 20th lap to refuel. The German starts again on soft tires and emerges behind Jarno Trulli and in front of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Räikkönen and Nico Rosberg, the last two leaders not to have stopped, took place during the 21st lap.

After the first wave of refueling, Jenson Button is first. The Briton is almost seven seconds ahead of the Trulli / Vettel / Hamilton group. Rubens Barrichello and Timo Glock complete the top 6. Only the Toyotas opted for “medium” tires.

Jenson Button increased his lead, while Jarno Trulli, second on medium tires, slowed down his pursuers a little. The positions are tightening, Trulli, Vettel, Hamilton and Barrichello are wheel to wheel. The latter anticipates his second pit stop, on the 27th lap. He starts again on soft tyres, which means that he will have to make a third stop to put on the “medium”.

Behind the leading quartet, Timo Glock must deal with the return of Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso. Like Trulli, Glock suffers a little in “medium”, but the Toyotas will be able to make a final stint in “soft” while the rest of the pack will be in “medium”. Timo Glock stops on the 34th lap.

With more than 16 seconds ahead, Jenson Button stopped a second time on the 37th lap, at the same time as Jarno Trulli and Lewis Hamilton. Button and Hamilton start again in “medium”, Trulli in “soft”. Vettel therefore inherits first position and fights to make the difference.

On the 40th lap, Sebastian Vettel stopped to refuel and put on the “medium” tires. He comes out in front of Jarno Trulli. He is therefore virtually second. But be careful, Trulli is in “soft”. The last leader to make his second stop, Räikkönen did so on the 45th lap. He emerges in “medium”, behind Timo Glock, but immediately overtakes him, to gain 7th position.

On the 46th lap, Jenson Button leads the race with more than thirteen seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Jarno Trulli. Rubens Barrichello is 4th, but will have to make a third stop. Lewis Hamilton is 5th and Kimi Räikkönen 6th.

Ruben Barrichello makes his last stop 10 laps from the finish. He came out 5th, ahead of Räikkönen and Glock, in full explanation.

Jenson Button manages his mechanics at the end of the race to achieve his third success this season. Sebastian Vettel, by finishing second, appears to be a dangerous opponent for the title. Jarno Trulli climbs to the last step of the podium. Lewis Hamilton pockets the points for fourth place, he is ahead of Ruben Barrichello, Kimi Räikkönen, Timo Glock and Fernando Alonso, the last man to score a point today.