Race Notes - Hamilton wins Bahrain GP

Lewis Hamilton has won the Bahrain GP tonight over Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari in second place, 3.3 seconds behind and Hamilton‘‚    ‚  ‚s Mercedes GP team mate Nico Rosberg finishes in third place, 6.0 seconds behind the winner.

The win is Hamilton‘‚    ‚  ‚s second in a row, and third of the season, and 36th career victory. Hamilton extends his championship lead to 33 points over Vettel, while Mercedes GP leads Ferrari by 52 points.

Raikkonen‘‚    ‚  ‚s podium finish is his first in a Ferrari since the Italian GP in 2009.

Valtteri Bottas (42.9s) in the Williams-Mercedes was fourth, followed by Sebastian Vettel (43.9s) in the Ferrari in fifth, Daniel Ricciarod (61.7s), whos Red Bull-Renault expired as he crosses the finish was sixth, Romain Grosjean (84.7s) in the Lotus-Mercedes was seventh, Sergio Perez (1 Lap) in the Force India-Merceds was eighth, Daniil Kvyat (1 Lap) in the second Red Bull was ninth and Felipe Massa in the Williams-Mercedes finished in the final points position in tenth place.

Before the start, Jenson Button will not start the race as McLaren has discovered electrical problems with his car before the race.

Hamilton in the Mercedes starts from pole again with Vettel in the Ferrari lining up on the front row. Rosberg and Raikkonen start on row two, the two Williams of Bottas and Massa start on row 3, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg start on row 4 and Carlos Sainz and Grosjean round out the top ten starters.

Most runners will probably opt for a two-stop pitstop strategy today.

The cars roll off the grid, and Massa is stalled. The Williams team pushes him off the grid into the pitlane and will start from there.

The lights go out and the race starts with polesitter Hamilton taking the lead, with the two Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen up next and Rosberg following.

Bottas, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg, Marcus Ericsson and Perez make up the top ten.

Hamilton pulls out a 0.8 second lead on the first lap.

Verstappen complains of damage to his front wing, after coming together with Pastor Maldonado.

On lap 2 Hamilton pulls out a 1.4 second lead on Vettel.

On lap 4 Rosberg dives down the inside of the first corner to pass Raikkonen for third place.

On lap 5 Hamilton has pulled out to a 2.2 second lead over Vettel. Bottas is closing on Raikkonen in fourth.

On lap 6 Sainz and Perez are battling over tenth place.

Maldonadp passes Max Verstappen for 15th place. Verstappen pits and changes tyres and the front wing - switching to the hard tyres.

On lap 8 Rosberg looks to make a move on Vettel, but can‘‚    ‚  ‚t make it work.

Rosberg tries again and dives down the inside of the first corner and passes Vettel for second place.

At lap 10 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 5.3 seconds, followed by Vettel (7.3s), Raikkonen (8.0s), Bottas (12.3s), Ricciardo (15.2s), Grosjean (19.3s), Ericsson (23.3s), Hulkenberg (23.8s( and Perez (25.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 11 Hulkenberg, Massa, Maldonado and Nasr all pit. All except Maldonado take on soft tyres.

Ericsson, Sainz and Grosjean and pit the next lap.

On lap 13 Maldonado sets fast lap. Alonso and Verstappen pit.

On lap14 Vettel pits from third place for soft tyres.

On lap 15 Rosberg pits from second and takes on another set of soft tyres as well. Vettel getting ahead of Rosberg on the stop. Bottas pits as well.

Hamilton pits the next lap for soft tyres as well, Vettel and Rosberg are just behind Hamilton coming out of the pits - Rosberg dives down the inside and passes Vettel for third - Raikkonen, yet to pit leads the race.

Rosberg sets fast lap.

On lap 17 Raikkonen pits from the lead and switches to medium compound tyres - and rejoins ahead of Bottas in fourth.

Rosberg is told by the team that his brakes are a concern.

On lap 19 Daniil Kvyat passes Fernando Alonso for 14th place.

At lap 20 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 1.6 seconds, followed by Vettel (2.7s), Raikkonen (12.3s), Bottas (14.8s), Ricciardo (22.4s), Grosjean (25.8s), Ericsson (28.4s), Hulkenberg (32.8s) and Massa (33.6s) in tenth place.

On lap 20 Roberto Merhi, and Will Stevens pits the next lap.

Nasr closes on Massa in tenth place, while the pair closes on Hulkenberg.

On lap 25 Nasr passes Massa for 11th place. Felipe Nasr, Massa and Maldonado then all pit - Maldonado gets out ahead of the two others out of the pitlane. Massa gets ahead of Nasr.

Hulkenberg and Ericsson pits as well. Ericsson has an extremely slow stop.

On lap 27 Vettel runs off track, but continues. Nasr passes Sainz for 14th place.

On lap 30 Hulkenberg passes Alonso for 11th place.

At lap 30 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 4.0 seconds, followed by Vettel (8.3s), Raikkonen (13.0s), Bottas (25.5s), Ricciardo (32.7s), Grosjean (47.8s), Perez (55.8s), Kvyat (62.7s) and Maldonado (68.0s) in tenth place.

Mass passes Alonso for 12th. Then Nasr passes Alonso into the first corner.

Sainz stops by the side of the track with a mechanical problem. Grosjean pits.

On lap 33 Vettel pits from third place switching to medium tyres - rejoining behind Bottas.

Hamilton pits from the lead the next lap, switching to medium tyres.

Raikkonen asks the team why they are going to switch to soft tyres on the next stop while the mediums are doing so well, and the team responds that they think the overall pace of the stint will be quicker.

On lap 34 Bottas pits. Maldonado passes Kvyat into the first corner for eighth place.

On lap 35 Rosberg pits and rejoins behind Vettel again.

Raikkonen leads while still needing to pit again.

On lap 36 Vettel with Rosberg right behind runs wide on the final corner - and Rosberg passes him into the first corner.

Vettel radios the team and says he thinks he has damaged the front wing.

On lap 37 Vettel pits and the team changes his front wing. He rejoins in fifth behind Bottas.

Vettel sets fast lap at 1:36.624s. Alonso unlaps himself over Raikkonen, who is slowing down on his harder set of tyres.

On lap 40 Hamilton passes Raikkonen for the lead at the first corner.

Raikkonen pits for soft compound tyres.

At lap 41 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 4.5 seconds, followed by Raikkonen (23.6s), Bottas (34.5s), Vettel (36.1s), Ricciardo (49.3s), Grosjean (60.1s), Maldonado (61.8s), Massa (70.5s) and Perez (77.3s) in tenth place.

Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m36.311s.

Malondo pits and has an issue with the rear end of the car. Maldonado says the engine cut. He rejoins in 15th.

Vettel is closing on Bottas in fourth place.

Raikkonen, who is 12 seconds behind Rosberg in second place, is trying to catch the German before the end of the race.

On lap 47 Nasr passes his team mate Ericsson for 13th place.

Ferrari tells Raikkonen that he should catch Rosberg.

Raikkonen tells Ferrari not to tell him the gap to Rosberg anymore.

Bottas continues to hold off Vettel.

At lap 50 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 5.8 seconds, followed by Raikkonen (10.6s), Bottas (38.5s), Vettel (40.5s), Ricciardo (57.1s), Grosjean (73.2s), Massa (88.3s), Perez (90.4s) and Kvyat (94.5s) in tenth place.

Perez passes Massa for eighth place.

On lap 53 Raikkonen closes to 3 seconds behind Rosberg.

On lap 54 Raikkonen closes to 1.1 seconds behind Rosberg. Kvyat passes Massa for ninth place.

On lap 56 Rosberg goes wide at the first corner, and Raikkonen takes advantage and takes second place.

Hamilton complains of a brake fault message, but continues.

Hamilton wins from Raikkonen, Rosberg, Bottas and Vettel. Ricciardo‘‚    ‚  ‚s Red Bull-Renault blows it‘‚    ‚  ‚s engine as the Australian crosses the finish line.

It appears Rosberg also had a brake issue in the closing laps.