Race Preview: Bahrain Grand Prix

Track: Bahrain International Circuit

Track Length: 3.363 mi./5.412 km.

Laps: 57

Tire Compounds: Soft and Medium

Previous Winners:            2014: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

                                      2013: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

                                      2012: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

                                      2010: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)

                                      2009: Jenson Button (Brawn)

Just like the Shanghai International Circuit the Bahrain International Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and first hosted a Formula 1 race in 2004. The circuit was the first to host a Formula 1 race in the Middle East and has been joined now by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Last year the race was moved to a night race which means that temperatures are not as high as they would be if the race was still ran in the day. The track itself consists of many slow and medium speed corners which means the teams will need to find a setup that can tackle these types of corners well as well as be good under traction when accelerating out of these corners. As for the weather, since the track is in a desert climate it makes it highly unlikely that we will see any rain all weekend.

Main Headlines

Can Rosberg Respond: Last weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had a disagreement about how they should handle the race. Rosberg said that Hamilton was driving too slowly which almost cost him 2nd place to Vettel. Hamilton claimed that he is trying to do what is best for his race. This weekend will be big for Rosberg as Hamilton is starting to put a bit of a gap in between the two drivers in the championship and Rosberg needs to turn that around quickly. Rosberg will need a strong result this weekend and beating Hamilton in the race will go a long way.

Honda: Honda is supposedly going to put more power into its engines being used this weekend in the McLaren chassis. The team has improved drastically each race this year and more power should allow them to improve even more this weekend. Look for McLaren to have a chance to breakthrough into Q2 during qualifying and to also possibly score points in the race if the engine can last the distance.

Can Sauber Continue its Success: Sauber has been the surprise of the season so far with how competitive it has been. Last weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix the team had both of its drivers get into Q3 in qualifying and score points in the race. Sauber will be looking to build on that success this weekend by repeating those results.

Can Ferrari Beat Mercedes: Ferrari was able to defeat Mercedes at the Malaysian Grand Prix and then looked to be close to the pace of the Mercedes drivers at last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. Ferrari will be looking for another win to show that they can win a title and not just an occasional race. If Ferrari can win this weekend it will mean that they have won half of the races before the European season which puts them in a strong position. If the race is based on tire wear then it is likely that Ferrari can put a challenge together.

Prediction: I expect to see Lewis Hamilton take the checkered flag first this weekend and put himself in control of the championship. Behind Hamilton I would expect Rosberg to finish in 2nd and complete another Mercedes 1-2 finish. I think Ferrari will be close to Mercedes again this weekend but like last week not have enough to pull off a victory so expect to see Sebastian Vettel complete the podium in 3rd.

Podium Prediction

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

3. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

How do you think the race will turn out this weekend? Do you think Mercedes will take another win or do you think Ferrari or someone else can challenge them up front? Please share your opinion in the comments section below.

Greatest Formula 1 Cars: 1-5

Today we look at the top 5 cars on our Greatest Formula 1 Cars list. If you missed any of the previous rankings click the Greatest Cars link at the top of the page.

5. Ferrari 500

Years Used: 1952-1957

Wins: 14

Championships: 1952 & 1953 Drivers'

The Ferrari 500 was used by the Ferrari team during the 1952 and 1953 seasons which were ran to Formula 2 regulations instead of Formula 1 but the results still counted towards the Formula 1 World Championship. During the time the Ferrari 500 was used it was one of the most dominating cars of all time. The car debuted at the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix and Piero Taruffi claimed victory in the cars first race. The Indianapolis 500 was next and Alberto Ascari entered for Ferrari but was not successful. After this Alberto Ascari won the remaining six races of the season and also won the Drivers' Championship. This meant Ferrari won every race in the season except the Indianapolis 500 which many European teams did not enter. Ferrari also scored pole position at every race during the year except the Indianapolis 500 and also topped it off with scoring the fastest lap of every race except the Indianapolis 500. The Ferrari 500 was used again in 1953 as Formula 1 once again used Formula 2 regulations and Ferrari started the season right where they left off. Ascari won the first three races of the season not counting the Indianapolis 500 as Ferrari did not enter any cars this time. Ascari's streak of nine consecutive wins finally came to an end at the French Grand Prix but Mike Hawthorn brought the Ferrari home to victory. Ascari was back at the front for the British Grand Prix and this was followed by Giuseppe Farina winning at the German Grand Prix. Ascari won once more at the Swiss Grand Prix which meant Ferrari entered the season ending Italian Grand Prix trying to win every race for two seasons in a row. Unfortunately for Ferrari they were not able to win the race but they still had cars finish 2nd, 3rd, and 4th for its home race. Despite this Ascari had already clinched the Drivers' Championship for the second consecutive year. The regulations changed in Formula 1 for 1954 so the team used a different chassis for the season. The Ferrari 500 was still used as a privateer on occasion over the next few years though but no significant results were achieved.

4. Williams FW14

Years Used: 1991-1992

Wins: 17

Championships: 1992 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Williams FW14 was designed for use in the 1991 season for drivers Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese. The car had a lot of pace early on but had difficulty finishing races as the car had six retirements in its first eight races. The two times the car did finish however were both 2nd place finishes with one for Mansell and one for Patrese. Both cars finished for the first time at the Canadian Grand Prix although the cars only came home in 3rd and 6th. At the next race in Mexico the FW14 scored its first win in a 1-2 finish with Patrese leading the way. After this Mansell won the next three races including a 1-2 finish at the German Grand Prix. The team then had a double podium finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix and after a disappointing Belgian Grand Prix the team won three consecutive races with Mansell winning two and Patrese one. The season then ended with each driver scoring one podium each during the last two races. The team came on very strong throughout the year but the disappointing start cost the team winning a championship. The team came back in 1992 with an updated version of the FW14 though which was able to dominate the season. The team retained both Mansell and Patrese for the season and to begin the year Mansell won the first five races which included four 1-2 finishes. Mansell looked to be on for another win at the sixth race of the year in Monaco but ended up losing the race on a late pit stop. Mansell was still able to finish in 2nd place and Patrese came home in 3rd as Williams was defeated for the first time in the 1992 season. Both Williams cars then retired at the Canadian Grand Prix but Mansell then won the next three races after that which included two more 1-2 finishes for the team. Patrese then retired in Hungary and Mansell could only finish in 2nd but the was enough for him to clinch the Drivers' Championship with five races left in the year. Both Williams cars finished on the podium at the Belgian Grand Prix and then had a disappointing result at the Italian Grand Prix. The team recovered though by winning the next two races as Mansell and Patrese each scored a win. The season then ended with both cars retiring at the Australian Grand Prix. The dominant performance of the car throughout the season also allowed the team to clinch the Constructors' Championship.

3. Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid

Years Used: 2014

Wins: 16

Championships: 2014 Drivers' & Constructors'

Mercedes developed the W05 Hybrid for the beginning of the new turbo era of Formula 1 in 2014 and the car produced one of the most dominating seasons ever. The season opened with the Australian Grand Prix with Nico Rosberg taking victory as the other Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton retired. After this the team scored five consecutive 1-2 finishes with Hamilton leading the way for four of them and Rosberg winning the fifth. The team looked to be on for another 1-2 finish at the Canadian Grand Prix but reliability issues cost them as Hamilton retired and Rosberg only finished 2nd. The team returned to the front with Rosberg leading home a 1-2 finish at the Austrian Grand Prix . Hamilton then took victory at the British Grand Prix as Rosberg retired but Rosberg then won again at the German Grand Prix. The team then did not win the next two races although they had one driver on the podium each time but the team then managed to win the last seven races of the year. Hamilton won the first five of these which included four 1-2 finishes during the five races. Rosberg then led home a 1-2 finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix to set up a title decider at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton took victory in this race as Rosberg had reliability issues which meant Hamilton was the World Champion. The dominant pace of the car also meant that the team won the Constructors' Championship.

2. Ferrari F2002

Years Used: 2002-2003

Wins: 15

Championships: 2002 Drivers' & Constructors', 2003 Drivers' & Constructors'

The F2002 debuted at the third race of the 2002 season in Brazil Michael Schumacher driving the only F2002 in the race to victory. At the next race in San Marino Ferrari also provided an F2002 to Rubens Barrichello and the team was able to score a 1-2 finish with Schumacher leading the way. Schumacher won again in Spain as Barrichello failed to start but the team then scored another 1-2 finish at the Austrian Grand Prix. Schumacher could only manage a 2nd place finish in Monaco while Barrichello was out of the points but the team then won the remaining ten races of the season. This included six wins for Schumacher and four for Barrichello. This also included seven 1-2 finishes along with 1-2 finishes for the last five races of the year. Michael Schumacher had such a dominant season that he was able to clinch the Drivers' Championship with six races remaining in the season and the team also clinched the Constructors' Championship early on. The team then continued to use the F2002 for the first four races of the 2003 season and although it struggled early on Schumacher was able to take victory for the cars last race while Barrichello picked up two podiums during these four races. Schumacher was able to use the points he scored with the F2002 to help him win the 2003 Drivers' Championship while the team once again won the Constructors' Championship.

1. McLaren MP4/4

Years Used: 1988

Wins: 15

Championships: 1988 Drivers' & Constructors'

The McLaren MP4/4 was designed for the 1988 season which was the last year in the first turbo era in Formula 1 and the car was one of the most dominating Formula 1 cars of all time. The team was able to take advantage of Honda engines as Honda switched from supplying Williams to McLaren. The team also had two of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost driving in the team. The season started with a victory for Prost in Brazil as Senna was disqualified but Senna took the top step of the podium at the following San Marino Grand Prix with Prost following in 2nd. Prost then won the next two races which included a 1-2 finish at the Mexican Grand Prix which was followed by Senna winning the two following races with Prost finished 2nd both times. Prost then won the French Grand Prix with Senna finishing 2nd which made it four consecutive 1-2 finishes for the McLaren team. Senna then won the British Grand Prix with Prost retiring and Senna then claimed victory at the three following races with Prost finishing behind him in 2nd all three times. This meant the team had won the first 11 races of the season and looked to be heading for victory again at the Italian Grand Prix until Senna tripped over Jean-Louis Schlesser while he was trying to lap him with two laps to go. This would be the only time all season that the McLaren team was defeated as Prost won the next two races and then in the final two races Senna and Prost each won once while both races were 1-2 finishes for the team. Senna was able to clinch the Drivers' Championship and the dominance of the MP4/4 meant that McLaren also claimed the Constructors' Championship.

What is your opinion about the cars in the rankings? Do you think that any cars were ranked out of position? Also now that you have seen the full list what do you consider to be the greatest cars in Formula 1? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Past Driver Profile: Trevor Taylor

Trevor Taylor was born on December 26, 1936 in England. He started his racing career driving a Triumph TR2 and after having success with that he moved up to 500cc Formula 3 racing. In 1958 competing in the British Formula 3 Championship Taylor won ten races which was enough for him to win the championship. After this success Taylor moved up to the Formula 2 series for 1959 but was not able to have as much success as he did the year before. Taylor also tried to compete in the 1959 British Grand Prix in a privately entered Cooper T51 but he was unable to qualify.

For 1960 Taylor moved to the Formula Junior Championship and had a successful year as he finished tied with Jim Clark for the title at the end of the year. For 1961 Taylor continued to compete in Formula Junior and this time won the championship. Also in 1961 Taylor started his first career Formula 1 race driving for Lotus. He qualified in 16th position for the Dutch Grand Prix and had a fairly quiet race as he ended up finishing in 13th position two laps down from the winner. This was the only race in the World Championship that Taylor took part in during 1961 but he did compete in many non-championship races during the year. The most notable result for Taylor during these non-championship races was a 2nd place finish at the Rand Grand Prix  which took place at the Kyalami Circuit in December.

For the 1962 season, Taylor was given a full time ride with the factory Lotus team in Formula 1. At the season opening Dutch Grand Prix Taylor had a solid race after qualifying in 10th  by finishing in 2nd place. The next race was disappointing for Taylor however as he only qualified in 17th at Monaco and then retired early on due to an oil leak. At the following Belgian Grand Prix Taylor qualified in 3rd and was running strong during the race until he was involved in a major crash with Ferrari's Willy Mairesse. Luckily Taylor was fine after the crash and able to take part in the next race in France. The rest of the World Championship season was unsuccessful for Taylor as he did not score any points for the remainder of the season. Taylor did have some success during the non-championship races during the 1962 season though. At the Cape Grand Prix which took place at the Killarney Motor Racing Complex Taylor was able to take victory narrowly defeating Jim Clark. Taylor was also able to take a shared victory with Jim Clark at the Mexican Grand Prix and then one once more at the Natal Grand Prix along with a couple more podium finishes during the year.

1963 saw Taylor retained by the Lotus factory team but the results did not improve over the year before. Taylor scored a point by finishing 6th at the first race in Monaco and that would turn out to be his best result of the season. The best Taylor could manage the rest of the season was an 8th place at both the German and South African Grand Prix. Taylor was also running a strong race at the French Grand Prix but had to unfortunately retire due to a suspension failure. Taylor once again ran many non-championship races during the 1963 season had some success. He did not win any races but did manage to finish 2nd at the Pau Grand Prix and Kanonlappet and also finished 3rd at Aintree and the BRDC International Trophy.

Lotus did not retain Taylor for the 1964 season as they replaced him with Peter Arundell. Taylor decided to move to the British Racing Partnership (BRP) team. The team was not very competitive and Taylor only managed to finish in two races throughout the entire season. These races resulted in a 7th place at the Belgian Grand Prix and also a 6th place finish at the United States Grand Prix which allowed him to score the final point of his Formula 1 career. Taylor also finished 3rd at the non-championship News of the World Trophy which took place at Goodwood in England.

Following the 1964 season Taylor quit Formula 1 and tried to compete in other series. For 1965 and 1966 Taylor competed in Formula 2 and did not have much success and then tried to race in touring cars. During 1966 Taylor also returned to Formula 1 for a final time as he competed in the 1966 British Grand Prix. For his final Formula 1 race he qualified in 18th position and retired on the first lap due to an engine issue. Taylor eventually found a home in the Formula 500 series in which he was fairly competitive. His most successful season was 1969 in which he won four consecutive races and finished 2nd in the championship to Peter Gethin. Taylor continued to compete in Formula 5000 with solid results until his retirement from racing in 1972. Taylor died on September 27, 2010 at 73 years old of cancer.

Greatest Formula 1 Cars: 6-10

Today we look at cars 6-10 on our Greatest Formula 1 Cars list. If you have missed any of the previous rankings click the Greatest Cars button on the top of the page.

10. Williams FW15C

Years Used: 1993

Wins: 10

Championships: 1993 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Williams FW15C was the car Williams used to compete the 1993 season with and is one of the most technologically advanced Formula 1 cars of all time. The team signed Alain Prost after he had sat out the previous season to be its lead driver for the year and put Damon Hill in the other car for his first full Formula 1 season. The car was by far the fastest car on the grid for the year and showed it right at the start as Prost took pole and victory at the season opening South African Grand Prix. The next race was in Brazil and Prost was leading again until he spun out in a heavy rainstorm. This gave the lead to Hill until Ayrton Senna passed him but Hill still came home in 2nd place. At the European Grand Prix the Williams drivers finished 2nd and 3rd with Hill leading the way. The team locked out the front row at the next two races while Prost was able to win from pole both times. Prost then won the pole again in Monaco but he jumped the start and had to serve a penalty that sent him near the back of the field. Prost was able to recover with a 4th place finish while Hill was able to come home in 2nd. After this the Williams team went on a streak in which they won seven consecutive races in which Prost won the first four and then Hill won the next three to secure his first career wins. Unfortunately for Williams the driver that did not win tended to run into problems during the race which cost the team many chances to get both cars on the podium. After winning seven straight races the team then went winless for the last three although both Williams cars were on the podium for two of those races and Prost finished 2nd in all three. Also, the team had secured pole position for every race of the year until the last race in Australia in which Senna won the pole. The pace advantage the FW15C had over the competition helped Prost win his 4th and final championship as he retired after the year while the Williams team also secured the Constructors' Championship as well.

9. Red Bull RB9

Years Used: 2013

Wins: 13

Championships: 2013 Drivers' & Constructors'

The RB9 was Red Bull's competitor for the 2013 Formula 1 season which was the last year before the current turbo era. The car did not start out dominant but by the end of the year was the class of the field. At the first race of the year lead driver Sebastian Vettel finished on the podium but only in 3rd while the other Red Bull of Mark Webber finished in 6th. At the next race in Malaysia the team dominated as Vettel led home a 1-2 for Red Bull. Neither Red Bull was able to finish on the podium in the next race in China but Vettel then returned on top for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The team then had a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix in which neither Red Bull finished on the podium again and then at Monaco the Red Bull cars finished in 2nd and 3rd with Vettel leading the way. Vettel then won again at the Canadian Grand Prix and then at the next race in Britain Vettel looked like he was going to be winning again until he retired from the lead. Webber was able to secure a solid result for the team with a 2nd place though. Vettel then won again in Germany and then at the Hungarian Grand Prix the team was defeated the Red Bull's only finished in 4rd and 4th position with Vettel ahead. After this was the summer break and when the teams came back Red Bull was not defeated the rest of the season as Vettel won all of the nine remaining races. This included three 1-2 finished for the team and also five races in which both cars finished on the podium. With this dominant stretch Vettel was able to easily secure his fourth consecutive Drivers' Championship while the team was able to score its fourth straight Constructors' Championship.

8. Ferrari F2004

Years Used: 2004-2005

Wins: 15

Championships: 2004 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Ferrari F2004 was designed by Ferrari to use for the 2004 season and its results did not disappoint. The team retained a driver lineup of  Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello for the fifth consecutive season. The season started off great for Ferrari at the first race in Australia as the team took a 1-2 finish led home by Schumacher. This was a start of five straight wins to open the season for Schumacher and Ferrari which also contained two more 1-2 finishes. The team was finally defeated at the Monaco Grand Prix as Schumacher retired but Barrichello was still able to bring his Ferrari home to a podium position in 3rd. After this race the team then finished 1-2 at the next three races with Schumacher leading the way each time and it was also the start of a stretch of seven consecutive wins for Schumacher. The team finally did not win again at the Belgian Grand Prix but Schumacher still finished 2nd with Barrichello in 3rd which meant both cars still finished on the podium. With the 2nd place finish Schumacher clinched his 7th Drivers' Championship and 5th consecutive one for Ferrari. At the next race in Italy the team scored another 1-2 finish but this time it was Barrichello out in front. Barrichello would then repeat this result at the next race which was the Chinese Grand Prix but Schumacher had a difficult day and finished out of the points. Schumacher then picked up one more win at the Japanese Grand Prix as Barrichello retired which was a record 13 wins in one season for a driver. At the last race in Brazil Barrichello was the only Ferrari driver on the podium with a 3rd place finish but it meant that at least one Ferrari finishes on the podium in every race of the 2004 season. The team's dominant pace throughout the 2004 season also allowed Ferrari to clinch its sixth consecutive Constructors' Championship. Ferrari then continued to use the F2004 for the first two races of the 2005 season but the car was not as dominant as it was during the previous season as they only scored one podium over the two races until being replaced by the 2005 car.

7. Alfa Romeo 158

Years Used: 1950

Wins: 6

Championships: 1950 Drivers'

Alfa Romeo used the 158 for the 1950 season which was the first season in Formula 1 history and it was by far the class of the field. At the season opening British Grand Prix Giuseppe Farina took victory followed by Luigi Fagioli in 2nd and Reg Parnell in 3rd which saw Alfa Romeo sweep the podium. Only one Alfa Romeo finished the next race at Monaco but it was on top as Juan Manuel Fangio scored his first World Championship victory. The team then did not take part in the next race which was the Indianapolis 500 as many of European teams did not enter it. At the following Swiss Grand Prix when Alfa Romeo entered again the team was back on top with another 1-2 finish led by Farina followed by Fagioli. The team then had two cars on the podium again at the Belgian Grand Prix but this time it was Fangio back on top as Fagioli once again finished in 2nd place. The next race in France saw the same result again as Fangio led home Fagioli for another 1-2 finish which set up a title decider for the season ending Italian Grand Prix. with all three Alfa Romeo drivers still having a chance. Fangio retired from the race after qualifying on pole while Fagioli could only finish in 3rd place. This left Farina to take the race and the first ever Drivers' Championship. It also meant that the 158 won every World Championship race that it entered.

6. Mercedes-Benz W196

Years Used: 1954-1955

Wins: 9

Championships: 1954 & 1955 Drivers'

The Mercedes-Benz W196 did not show up until the 4th race of the 1954 season but when it did it became the class of the field instantly. The team dominated the race with a 1-2 finish as Juan Manuel Fangio led the way followed by Karl Kling. The team was not as strong at the following British Grand Prix as the best Fangio could manage was 4th but Fangio returned to the top as he won the three following races which also included a podium for Hans Herrmann at the Swiss Grand Prix. The season ended at the Spanish Grand Prix as Fangio could only manage a 3rd place finish but he had still managed to clinch his 2nd Drivers' Championship in his career. For 1955 the team returned with the W196 and it was still on top. The season started in Argentina with Fangio taking another victory for Mercedes. Mercedes looked like it was going to win again at the next race in Monaco but both Fangio and Stirling Moss ran into troubles while leading and had to retire. The team did not enter the next race which was the Indianapolis 500 but after that it was not defeated again for the rest of the season. This started with a 1-2 finish for the team at the Belgian Grand Prix with Fangio leading Moss home and the team then replicated the result at the following Dutch Grand Prix. The team then finished in the first four spots at the British Grand Prix but this time it was Moss who came home first for his first career victory. The season then ended at the Italian Grand Prix as Fangio once again took the victory. The dominating season allowed Fangio to claim his 2nd consecutive Drivers' Championship but after the season Mercedes pulled out of Formula 1 due to the tragic accident at the 24 Hours of LeMans earlier that year.

What is your opinion on the cars ranked above? Do you feel any of them are ranked out of place? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Also don't forget to check back Thursday as we reveal the top 5 cars in our rankings. 

Chinese Grand Prix Thoughts

Yesterdays Chinese Grand Prix gave us many interesting topics to talk about so we are going to take a look at some of these.

Mercedes Team Battle: After the end of last season both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg claimed that their rivalry was over and that they would get along better this year. After the race in the press conference the two showed that this would not be the case as Rosberg accused Hamilton of ruining his race. Rosberg claimed that Hamilton went to slow which almost caused him to lose his 2nd place to Vettel in the Ferrari. Hamilton responded by saying that he was looking after himself and that it is not his job to look after Rosberg as well. I think this is an interesting point and this is something we will definately be following the next couple of weeks. During the race the two drivers seemed to be fairly evenly matched with Hamilton having a slight edge. Hamilton was able to pull out a few fast laps before his last pit stop which clinched the race for him. If Rosberg felt that he had a lot more speed than Hamilton then I think he could have taken a risk and put more pressure on Hamilton to try to pass him in the first half of the race. It is probable that Rosberg would have worn his tires more if he did this but if he was able to come out in front it would have put him in control of the pace instead of Hamilton. In the end I think this has been the difference between the two Mercedes driver the last two years. Even though Rosberg can be just as quick as Hamilton at times during the race he has never been able to pass Hamilton on track the way Hamilton was able to complete passes on Rosberg last year. This is why Hamilton is the defending World Champion and why Rosberg is seemingly slipping to a number two driver.

Rosberg's Confidence: The first point brings us to another point on how Rosberg seems to not be as confident as he was last year. Rosberg seemed to feel last year that he was capable of winning the title but early this year he appears to have doubts in his abilities at times. Rosberg was helped last year by Hamilton retiring from the first race which gave him a 25 point head start for the championship and kept him in the lead for longer but he does not have that this year. If Hamilton wins the next two races as he did last year it will put Rosberg in a very difficult situation and the team might have to focus on Hamilton because Vettel is closer to Mercedes than anyone was last year. I think Rosberg desperately needed to beat Hamilton on track for the race in order to get his confidence back and let the team know that he will again be fighting for the title. It would have been even better for Rosberg if he could have passed Hamilton on track which is something that he could not do last year. Rosberg will have to resolve his confidence issue quickly though as the Bahrain Grand Prix is less than a week away and Hamilton will be looking to expand his lead over Rosberg again. If Rosberg does not resolves the issue Mercedes may start to look for a replacement.

Ferrari Team Battle: Like the two Mercedes drivers the two Ferrari drivers of Sebastian Vettel  and Kimi Raikkonen looked to be evenly matched throughout the race. Raikkonen started in 6th but got a good start and was able to climb up to 4th behind Vettel after a few corners. After this Raikkonen followed closely behind Vettel for the majority of the race but like Rosberg was not able to get by. The strategies changed slightly before the last pit stop as Raikkonen waited a few extra laps before making his final pit stop hoping to have fresher tires for the end of the race. He was closing in on Vettel but never got the opportunity to try to complete a pass as the race ended under the safety car. Although I don't think Raikkonen would have had enough time to actually complete the pass on Vettel and get on the podium it was nice to see him back running near the front of the field again. He has been pretty unlucky during the races this year and Raikkonen needs to get some good results if he wants Ferrari to retain him for another season. In order for him to be retained I think he needs to show the team that he can match Vettel's pace and on occasion defeat him. I think the pace is there but Raikkonen has not been able to put in good qualifying laps which have made him fight from behind which is part of the reason he has been unlucky. Hopefully for Raikkonen a solid weekend will help his confidence and he will be able to perform better in qualifying for Bahrain next week which will give him a better chance in the race.

Max Verstappen: Max Verstappen was definately a driver to look at during the race as he looked to be on his way to an 8th place finish and points for the second straight race until retiring with three laps to go. On a weekend in which Carlos Sainz did not look as strong as Verstappen it would have been good for him to gain a few extra points on Sainz. Verstappen also provided some entertainment throughout the races as he was able to pull off some brilliant overtaking moves. Many people doubted whether or not Verstappen was ready and too young to be in Formula 1 but I think he has been able to silence a lot of his critics despite retiring for the second time.

Overall for the race it was not full of passing but I thought it provided an interesting battle between Ferrari and Mercedes. Ferrari looked as if they were able to match the Mercedes pace for the first half of the race but once the teams put on the hard tires Mercedes pulled away. Mercedes definately seemed to be more aware of Ferrari and what strategy they were running than they were last weekend as I think Mercedes now views Ferrari as a serious threat. However I think Mercedes was also taking the first half the race cautious and was allowing Ferrari to hang around as I think they wanted Ferrari to control the strategy so they could react to what Ferrari was doing. I think that Mercedes did have more pace available to them if needed. Although I think Mercedes still has the advantage overall I do think that Ferrari is closer to them than anyone was last year. This should make for some interesting races the rest of the year as we will see if Ferrari can beat Mercedes enough to win the title.

What did you think of the Chinese Grand Prix? Did you find the race interesting? Also, what did you think of the battles between the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Hamilton completes dominating weekend to win Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton was in control throughout the entire race as he made it two wins out of three races to start the 2015 season as he only relinquished the lead during pit stops. Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg came home behind Hamilton in 2nd place but was able to match the pace of Hamilton for most of the race. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel rounded out the podium in 3rd.

The two Mercedes cars got off the grid first ahead of the Ferrari''s which put them in control of the race right from the start. Ferrari was able to match the Mercedes during the first two stints but after switching to the prime tires for the final stint the two Mercedes cars were able to put a gap in between. Behind Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen was able to jump from 6th to 4th after the first few corners as he was able to match Vettel's pace for most of the race. Raikkonen lost a bit of time to Vettel during the pit stops and was able to make most of it back up on track but did not have enough time to make up all of it.

Overall it was a fairly quiet race although there were a few incidents. Jenson Button ran into the back of Pastor Maldonado as the two headed in to turn 1 which put an end to Maldonado's race. Also with three laps to go Max Verstappen's engine blew as he was running in 8th place which caused the race to end under the safety car.

Behind Ferrari and Mercedes Williams had a really quiet race as the two drivers spent most of it by themselves. Massa was able to lead the way between the two of them as he came home in 5th while Valtteri Bottas finished in 6th.

Lotus had a solid day as Romain Grosjean brought the car home in 7th place which is the first time he has scored points since Monaco last year. Even though Maldonado retired he had a solid first half of the race and looked to be on place for points himself but overshot the pit lane entrance and then got ran into by Button.

Sauber had a good day as both of its drivers were able to score points. Felipe Nasr finished in 8th place while Marcus Ericsson came home 10th. The Sauber team has made a drastic improvement from last year in which they did not score any points all year and they have now scored points in two of the three races this year.

Red Bull had another day to completely forget as Daniel Ricciardo was the only Red Bull finisher as he came home in 9th place. He had a slow start in which he fell from 7th to 17th and had to spend his whole race recovering. The other Red Bull of Daniil Kvyat retired due to an engine issue early on. As noted before tension between Red Bull and Renault is extremely high and an engine failure during the race will not help ease the tension at all.

Force India had a pointless day as Sergio Perez finished in 11th while Nico Hulkenberg retired early on due to a gearbox failure. Perez was in some good battle throughout the race but overall had a quiet day.

McLaren did not score any points but can be satisfied that both cars finished for the first time this year and the team can hopefully gain some valuable data. Alonso finished ahead of Button as he finished 12th to Button's 13th. Button looked like he was going to finish ahead of Alonso until he was involved in the accident with Maldonado as he punted him from behind into turn 1 but was able to continue.

Toro Rosso looked to be on for more points until Max Verstappen had an apparent engine failure with just three laps which brought out the safety car while he was running in 8th place. Verstappen had an entertaining race pulling off some good overtaking moves. The other Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz came home in 14th

Even though the Manor drivers were 15th and 16th and the last two runners they can be proud of themselves as they were able to bring both cars home to the finish. It was just two weeks ago that they fired the cars up for the first time and they have already completed a full race distance with both cars.

In the Drivers' Championship Lewis Hamilton opens up a 13 point lead over Sebastian Vettel who is 4 points ahead of Nico Rosberg

Pos.	Driver	Team
1	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
2	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes
3	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari
4	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari
5	Felipe Massa	Williams-Mercedes
6	Valtteri Bottas	Williams-Mercedes
7	Romain Grosjean	Lotus-Mercedes
8	Felipe Nasr	Sauber-Ferrari
9	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull-Renault
10	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber-Ferrari
11	Sergio Perez	Force India-Mercedes
12	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Honda
13	Jenson Button	McLaren-Honda
14	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso-Renault
15	Will Stevens	Manor-Ferrari
16	Roberto Merhi	Manor-Ferrari
	Max Verstappen	Toro Rosso-Renault
	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus-Mercedes
	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso-Renault
	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India-Mercedes

Hamilton takes pole in China

Lewis Hamilton continued his domination of qualifying in 2015 as he took his third straight pole to start the year for tomorrow's Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton set a fantastic lap with a 1m35.782s in Q3 which was less a tenth quicker than his team mate Nico Rosberg in 2nd place. Behind the two Mercedes cars was Sebastian Vettel in 3rd with another solid result on a Saturday for Ferrari who was followed by the two Williams drivers of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas who rounded out the top five.

Vettel's team mate Kimi Raikkonen could only manage a 6th place on the grid for the race tomorrow as he seemed to be struggling to get heat into his tires. The Finn was probably expecting better than this and was looking to be closer to his team mate Vettel. However Ferrari's biggest strength seems to be his race pace Raikkonen could still make a good result from this.

Red Bull continued to disappoint as Daniel Ricciardo qualified in 7th while Daniil Kvyat only qualified in 12th and did not make Q3. Kvyat appeared to be struggling with a braking issue during the session and even though this wasn't an engine issue it is still likely tension will increase between Red Bull and engine supplier Renault.

Lotus should be satisfied with its qualifying result as Romain Grosjean was able to get his car in Q3 and will line up 8th on the grid. Pastor Maldonado in the other Lotus just missed out on Q3 and will start from 11th.

Sauber will be absolutely delighted with its qualifying result as both drivers made it into Q3 for the team for the first time since the 2013 United States Grand Prix. Felipe Nasr led the way with 9th while Marcus Ericsson will line up in 10th. The team has been a lot stronger than expected to start the year and will definately be looking to translate this result into more points on Sunday.

The two Toro Rosso drivers had a bit of a disappointing session compared to what they have done in the previous races as Max Verstappen qualified in 13th while Carlos Sainz qualified 14th/ This will be an interesting battle to watch within the team tomorrow to see which of these two young drivers can come out on top.

Force India had another disappointing session as Sergio Perez qualified in 15th while Nico Hulkenberg was 16th and did not break out of Q1. Force India has been struggling all year compared to where they have been the last few seasons and will be looking to improve on its qualifying result in the race.

Behind Force India where the two McLaren drivers with Jenson Button ahead of Fernando Alonso by 0.004s. The result may not seem any better for McLaren they are a lot closer to the rest of the field as they have been at the last two races. McLaren will be looking for more data collection in the race tomorrow and at the rate they are improving don't expect them to get knocked out in Q1 for long.

The gird will be rounded out by the two Manor drivers of Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi. This would be what the team was expecting as they are to far off from the rest of the field to get off the last row.

Pos.	Driver	Team	Time
1	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1m35.782s
2	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	1m35.824s
3	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1m36.687s
4	Felipe Massa	Williams-Mercedes	1m36.954s
5	Valtteri Bottas	Williams-Mercedes	1m37.143s
6	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	1m37.232s
7	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull-Renault	1m37.540s
8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus-Mercedes	1m37.905s
9	Felipe Nasr	Sauber-Ferrari	1m38.067s
10	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber-Ferrari	1m38.158s
11	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus-Mercedes	1m38.134s
12	Daniil Kvyat	Red Bull-Renault	1m38.209s
13	Max Verstappen	Toro Rosso-Renault	1m38.393s
14	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso-Renault	1m38.538s
15	Sergio Perez	Force India-Mercedes	1m39.290s
16	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India-Mercedes	1m39.216s
17	Jenson Button	McLaren-Honda	1m39.276s
18	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Honda	1m39.280s
19	Will Stevens	Manor-Ferrari	1m42.091s
20	Roberto Merhi	Manor-Ferrari	1m42.842s

Race Preview: Chinese Grand Prix

Track: Shanghai International Circuit

Track Length: 3.387 mi./5.451 km.

Laps: 56

Tire Compounds: Soft and Medium

Previous Winners: 2014: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

                                      2013: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)

                                      2012: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

                                      2011: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

                                      2010: Jenson Button (McLaren)

The Shanghai International Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and first hosted a Formula 1 race in 2004. The track has some similar characteristics to the Sepang International Circuit used at the previous race in Malaysia as the track has a mixture of fast and slow corners along with some long straights. This means once again teams will need to find a balanced setup in which the car will be fast in all of these sections. The weather in China can be unpredictable at times and we have seen many races that have been affected by rain. This can always add something to the race as teams will have to make sure they are on the correct tire for the weather at the correct time. The temperature should not be as hot as the previous race in Malaysia so tire wear should not be as much of an issue if the race is dry.

Main Headlines

Mercedes vs. Ferrari: At the Malaysian Grand Prix Ferrari took the fight to Mercedes and defeated them in a straight fight. Ferrari will be looking to continue this success to prove that they can fight for a title and not just an occasional win. Mercedes on the other hand will be looking to fight back and retain its status as the top team in Formula 1.

Red Bull vs. Renault: The last few weeks have seen Red Bull and Renault trade blows in the media as they do not seem to be happy with each other at the moment. Red Bull is upset about the quality of the engine they are receiving from Renault and feel that they cannot compete at the front with it. If Red Bull has another difficult week look for more words between the two parties.

Can Raikkonen's luck change: Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen has had a fair amount of bad luck this season already and has had his result affected in both races so far. Last week in Malaysia Raikkonen seemed to be faster during long runs than Vettel in practice but was not able to run out front during the race. Raikkonen will be looking  for a straightforward weekend to show where his pace will place him in the field.

How will Manor fare: Manor had another difficult weekend in Malaysia but was able to put its cars on track. The team was not able to qualify within 107% but the cars were allowed to race. Unfortunately for the team only Roberto Merhi was able to actually race due to technical issues with Will Stevens' car. The team will be looking for any improvement they can find as their difficult season continues.

Prediction: I think this week will be Nico Rosberg's turn to be out in front as he seems to be quick at China. He hasn't been able to match Hamilton's pace yet this year but I am expecting that to change this weekend. Behind Rosberg I expect Hamilton to follow in 2nd as Ferrari will not be as close to Mercedes this weekend. As for the battle behind Mercedes I expect Raikkonen to have a strong weekend and lead the way.

Podium Prediction

1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

How do you think the race will turn out this weekend? Do you think Mercedes will fight back and be back on top this weekend or do you think Ferrari will be out in front again this weekend? Also how do you see the fight behind shaping out? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Greatest Formula 1 Cars: 11-15

Today we look at cars 11-15 on our Greatest Cars list. If you have missed any of the previous rankings click the Greatest Cars link at the top of the page.

15. Williams FW18

Years Used: 1996

Wins: 12

Championships: 1996 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Williams FW18 was the design the team used to compete in the 1996 season and was by far the class of the field. The team dominated the first race of the year as rookie Jacques Villeneuve looked to be on for a win on his debut until he was hurt by a problem in which he was losing oil. This allowed team mate Damon Hill to take victory but the gap Williams had over the rest of the field still allowed Villeneuve to take 2nd place. Hill won again at the next two races which also included a 1-2 finish at the Argentine Grand Prix. The following European Grand Prix saw Villeneuve take his first career victory which was followed by another win for Hill at the San Marino Grand Prix. Williams did not win for the first time all year at Monaco as both cars retired and then at the Spanish Grand Prix only Villeneuve was running at the end and he finished in 3rd. The Williams team rebounded however as Hill led home a 1-2 finish for the team at both of the next two races which started a streak of five consecutive wins for Williams in which Hill won three times and Villeneuve twice. Williams was defeated again at the Belgian Grand Prix as Villeneuve finished in 2nd while Hill was 5th and then at the Italian Grand Prix neither Williams scored points. The team came back in Portugal as Villeneuve led home a 1-2 finish for the team which set up a title decider in the final round between Hill and Villeneuve. At the Japanese Grand Prix Villeneuve was forced to retire as a wheel fell off his car which allowed Hill to clinch the title while the team had already sealed the Constructors' Championship. 

14. McLaren MP4/5

Years Used: 1989-1990

Wins: 16

Championships: 1989 Drivers' & Constructors, 1990 Drivers' & Constructors'

McLaren debuted the MP4/5 at the beginning of the 1989 season which was also the first season in the ban of turbo engines. McLaren had two of the greatest drivers of all time in the team with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost and the car did not disappoint. Although McLaren did not win the first race of the season Senna won the next three races while Prost finished in 2nd place for two of those. After this Prost then won three of the next four races while Senna had three retirements to close the championship up. After Prost's streak Senna came back to lead home a McLaren 1-2 at the German Grand Prix. McLaren was then defeated at the Hungarian Grand Prix but Senna was still able to finish 2nd while Prost finished 4th. Senna followed this up by leading home another McLaren 1-2 at the Belgian Grand Prix. Prost then won in Italy and then finished 2nd in Portugal while Senna retired from both races. Senna then won the Spanish Grand Prix while Prost finished 3rd which set up a classic title decider for the end of the season. Senna qualified on pole for the Japanese Grand Prix but Prost got the jump at the start and took the lead. Late in the race Senna tried to pass Prost but the two collided which put Prost out of the race. Senna went on to win but was later disqualified for receiving a push start which handed the win to Benetton driver Alessandro Nannini. This disqualification clinched the title for Prost. Both McLaren drivers did not finish the last race in Australia but the team had more than enough points to win the Constructors' Championship. McLaren returned in 1990 with a B version of the chassis but Prost had left for Ferrari and was replaced by Gerhard Berger. The team was not as dominant as in 1989 but was still quick enough. Senna started by winning the first race of the year and then both McLaren drivers finished on the podium at the next race in Brazil. Berger then finished 2nd at San Marino while Senna retired but Senna then won the next two consecutive races. At the next three races the highest finishing McLaren was only in 3rd place until Senna won again at the German Grand Prix. Senna then finished 2nd at Hungary but then won the next two races as Berger finished 3rd in both. Following a 2nd place finish for Senna in Portugal and a double retirement for McLaren in Spain another classic title decider was st up. At the Japanese Grand Prix Senna qualified on pole with Prost 2nd but Prost got the jump at the start as he did the year before. This time however the two drivers collided heading into the first turn knocking both drivers out of the race which this time handed the title to Senna. The team had also racked up enough points throughout the year to win the Constructors' Championship as well.

13. McLaren MP4/2

Years Used: 1984-1986

Wins: 22

Championships: 1984 Drivers' & Constructors', 1985 Drivers' & Constructors', 1986 Drivers'

The McLaren MP4/2 was powered by a TAG Porsche turbo engine and was one of the most dominant cars in Formula 1 during the 1980s. The car debuted in 1984 and had instant success as Alain Prost won the car's first race in Brazil. The next race in South Africa was even more successful for McLaren as Niki Lauda won in the other McLaren but Prost followed behind in 2nd. Both McLaren cars retired from the next race but then Prost won the following race in San Marino followed by Lauda in France and then Prost in Monaco. Neither McLaren won in Canada but they still managed to have Lauda finish 2nd then Prost in 3rd. Neither McLaren finished on the podium at the next two races but following that McLaren won every race the rest of the season. Lauda and Prost alternated wins at the next six races to set up a title decider between the two drivers at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Prost won the race but Lauda finished in 2nd to score enough points to claim the title by just one-half point which is the smallest margin of victory in Formula 1 history. The domination of the McLaren also allowed the team to clinch the Constructors' Championship as well. For 1985 McLaren returned with an updated version of the MP4/2 and while the car was not as dominant it was still the best in the field. The year started with a win for Prost in Brazil but the team did not get any podiums the next two races until Prost finally came back with a win in Monaco. As for Lauda a retirement in Monaco started a stretch of five consecutive retirements for him. Prost finished in 3rd at the Canadian and French Grand Prix and then was finally back on top at the British Grand Prix. Prost finished 2nd at Germany and then finally won again at Austria. This was followed up by Lauda taking his only win of the season and last of his career at the Dutch Grand Prix as he was closely followed by Prost in 2nd. Prost returned to the front at the Italian Grand Prix but this was to be the last win for the team in 1985. Despite not winning any of the last four races Prost still was able to manage to win his first Drivers' Championship while the team once again won the Constructors' Championship. The team used another updated of the MP4/2 for one last year in 1986 and the team had another successful season. Prost was retained but Lauda had retired and was replaced by Keke Rosberg. The team was not able to win as many races throughout the year with Prost winning all four but this was enough for Prost to retain the Drivers' Championship. Rosberg struggled during the year however as he only finished on the podium once and McLaren was defeated in the Constructors' Championship. Despite this the McLaren MP4/2 still has a fantastic record over its three year lifespan.

12. Lotus 25

Years Used: 1962-1967

Wins: 14

Championships: 1963 Drivers' & Constructors', 1965 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Lotus 25 is one of the most important cars in Formula 1 history as it was the first car to implement a monocoque chassis. The car debuted in 1962 and lead driver Jim Clark was able to bring the car home for three victories in its first season. This was not enough for Clark to win the Drivers' Championship or the team to win the Constructors' Championship as they finished 2nd in both. In 1963 Clark had one of the most dominant seasons in Formula 1 history. He only finished 8th in the first race but after that finished on the podium in every race the rest of the year. This included him winning the next four races until he was finally defeated by finishing 2nd at the German Grand Prix. Clark returned to the top at the next race in Italy which was followed by a 3rd place finish at the United States Grand Prix but Clark ended the year strong by winning the last two races. the dominant season by Clark carried him to his first career Drivers' Championship while Clark almost single handily carried Lotus to the Constructors' Championship. Clark started out 1964 strong by winning two of the first three races while Peter Arundell finished 3rd in a Lotus 25 in the first two races. Clark won once more at the British Grand Prix and then ran a few races in the Lotus 33. The results were not enough for Clark to retain his title or for the team to retain their title as well. Clark used the Lotus 25 just once in his 1965 title winning season at the French Grand Prix and took victory. The Lotus 25 was used over the next few years until 1967 by privateers but no significant results were achieved by those private entrants.

11. Ferrari F2001

Years Used: 2001-2002

Wins: 10

Championships: 2001 Drivers' & Constructors', 2002 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Ferrari F2001 was designed by Ferrari to be its challenger for the 2001 season and the car was the most dominant that year. The year started out by lead driver Michael Schumacher winning the first two races of the season while team mate Rubens Barrichello was also on the podium at both races. Schumacher came close to another victory in Brazil but finished 2nd while Barrichello brought home another podium with a 3rd in San Marino. Schumacher returned to the top with a win at the Spanish Grand Prix and this was followed with a 2-3 finish for the team at the Austrian Grand Prix led by Schumacher. The team did even better at Monaco as Schumacher led home a 1-2 finish which was followed by a 2nd place by Schumacher in Canada but Schumacher then managed to win the next two races. The team then had another 2-3 finish at the British Grand Prix while Barrichello brought home another podium with a 2nd at the German Grand Prix. At the Hungarian Grand Prix Schumacher led home another 1-2 for Ferrari as he clinched his fourth career Drivers' Championship. At the next race in Belgium Schumacher won again to break the record for most career Formula 1 wins. Both Schumacher and Barrichello then scored a 2nd place finish each at the next two races and then Schumacher won again at the season ending Japanese Grand Prix. The high level of success throughout the season allowed the team to also win the Constructors' Championship as well. The team continued to use the F2001 at the beginning of the 2002 season as they continued to develop the 2002 car. The car was still competitive as Schumacher won the season opening race in Australia and then finished 3rd at the Malaysian Grand Prix until finally being replaced.

How do you fell about the cars in these rankings? Do you think any of the cars are out of place? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Also don't forget to check back next Tuesday as we reveal the next five cars in our rankings.