Hamilton winner in Bahrain F1 race
Lewis Hamilton edged Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg after an intense race-long duel to take the victory by just one second at Forumla One’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir on Sunday.
The two Mercedes were predictably in a different league than their rivals and recorded their second one-two finish in eight days after Hamilton’s victory last weekend in Malaysia.
With no team orders, the two were allowed to race for the lead and there were several close calls when the pair came inches away from colliding, providing a thrilling spectacle under the lights at the Bahrain International Circuit.
“It was very, very fair and it was very hard to keep him behind,” Hamilton said. “He was very fast on the option tires and I was on the knife-edge the whole time. … Me and Nico haven’t had a race like that since back in our karting days. In our first (karting) race, he led all day and I overtook him on the last lap and won, and I thought for sure he was going to do that to me today.”
Force India’s Sergio Perez was third in his first podium finish since 2012 and his teammate Nico Hulkenberg fifth.
F1 likely to add U.S. team
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone says a U.S.-backed team led by NASCAR’s Gene Haas is among two new teams likely to join the series next season.
Speaking at Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Ecclestone said he held talks with the sport’s governing body and there was agreement about expansion next season.
“They will be accepted, and we’ve also accepted another team as well, although whether they’ll make it or not is another story,” Ecclestone said when asked about a possible Haas entry.
The other 2015 bidder is believed to be an Eastern Europe-based entry backed by Colin Kolles, who formerly was at defunct teams HRT, Midland and Spyker.
FIA President Jean Todt confirmed that applications were being considered and said a decision will be announced “in coming days.” Those applying will need approval from the governing body and the commercial rights holder, headed by Ecclestone.
Sprint Cup postponed
The Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth was postponed because of rain.
It will be run this morning at 9 a.m. (Pacific), nine hours before the start of the NCAA national championship game in nearby Arlington.
It’s the third time in seven Sprint Cup Series races this season that rain has hampered the event. The season-opening Daytona 500 and the race at Bristol Motor Speedway were both significantly delayed.
Sunday’s event at Texas didn’t start as scheduled as steady rain saturated the track. NASCAR’s new track drying system requires two hours to dry the 1.5-mile speedway, but the unseasonably cool temperatures made the task difficult.