FERRARI IS BACK IN BUSINESS
Bottas kept the lead for the opening
laps, with Vettel close behind in a five-car
train.
The safety car appeared on track after
18-year-old Canadian newcomer Lance
Stroll, suffering his third retirement in three
races, turned into Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz
as the Spaniard left the pits.
“I got hit from the side,” the Williams
rookie exclaimed.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had already
crashed out by then, blaming brake failure
after he trekked across the gravel into the
tyre barrier on lap 12.
“It was a great team effort and I felt like
we are quick. I tried to put Valtteri under
pressure. But the early pit stop worked,”
said Vettel. “Lewis obviously was a very big
threat again towards the end... but the car
was a dream.”
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth
with Ricciardo fifth for Red Bull and Brazilian
Felipe Massa sixth for Williams on the 75th
birthday of team founder Frank Williams.
Sergio Perez finished seventh for Force
India, his 13th successive points finish, with
Romain Grosjean eighth for Haas.
Nico Hulkenberg was ninth for Renault,
that team’s first points of the year, and
rookie Esteban Ocon bagged the final point
for Force India.
McLaren’s nightmare continued with
Stoffel Vandoorne failing to start and
Fernando Alonso retiring on the final laps but
classified 14th.
“I never raced with less power in my
life,” the Spaniard told his team.