Massa, sixth place a sure thing for Williams
As in Melbourne, the experienced Brazilian took the FW40 to sixth place at the finish. Less luck, however, for his young team-mate, who fell victim to Carlos Sainz's eagerness.
A taste of victory for Massa!
Winner twice on the Sakhir track (in 2007 and 2008 for Ferrari), the Paulista delivered an undoubtedly convincing race. Starting eighth on the “dirty” side of the track, he nonetheless gained two positions in the first lap, overtaking Hülkenberg’s Renault and especially Räikkönen’s Ferrari.
The Brazilian then showcased his Williams by resisting the 2007 world champion for the first time. The safety car period following his teammate’s crash even allowed him to climb up to fourth place, thanks to Verstappen’s retirement and Daniel Ricciardo’s challenging restart.
Finding himself once again in front of “Iceman,” he resisted for seven laps before giving way for good. On the 28th lap, he was finally overtaken by the Australian’s Red Bull.
« I would like to say that it was a beautiful day; I managed to have a great race, with a perfect start. I passed Hülkenberg and then Kimi at the fourth corner. I then kept my tires in the right operating window to pass Daniel after the Safety car, which was great! After that, they had a better pace than me. »
The 2008 world runner-up also took the moment to pay tribute to the founder of the team, who was celebrating his 75th birthday.
« But to be honest, the position I secured is like a victory, it is important for the whole team. It was Frank’s birthday and he deserves this position. I’m sure he’s happy and very proud of the team! »
Hugs all round for @MassaFelipe19! 🤗#BahrainGP #F1 #WeAreRacing. pic.twitter.com/MDDFOlCykU
— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) April 16, 2017
Lance Stroll has nothing to blame himself for
The race of the young Quebecois came to a swift conclusion on the 12th lap. Then in 14th place, Lance Stroll was approaching the first corner. He crossed paths with Sainz’s Toro Rosso exiting the pits at the same time. The collision was brutal and left his Williams on its side.
« I saw Sainz come out of the pit lane. I was 50 or 60 meters ahead of him in the braking zone. I was turning when he came and hit me on the side. It was ridiculous! »
Stroll’s race was nonetheless quite interesting, especially since the rookie had made a mark by setting the fastest lap at that time, one lap before the incident.
The race wasn’t going too badly. I had a bad start, but I pitted early. I had a good start to the stint with the soft tires. I’m just disappointed and hope my luck turns around soon for the better.
In general terms, this sixth place for Massa allows him to move up to seventh in the drivers’ standings. The team, meanwhile, advances to fifth place on the constructors’ side, moving ahead of Toro Rosso. But to maintain this position, they will need Stroll to start scoring points as well. The reigning F3 European champion has yet to see the checkered flag in three meetings…
The major clash between #Stroll and #Sainz ⚡️ The video 👉🏽 https://t.co/5E6TANwi0p pic.twitter.com/YDUqUx2M5Z
— La F1® sur CANAL (@LaF1SurCanal) 16 avril 2017
