Fernando Alonso won yesterday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix to lead a Ferrari one-two on his debut for the Italian Formula One team.
The Spaniard passed teammate Felipe Massa at the second corner after the start, before overtaking pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel on the 34th lap for a lead he would never relinquish.
After two frustrating years at Renault, Alonso pounded his chest after jumping on top of his car in celebration as Ferrari got off to their best start since 2004 — when Schumacher led a one-two start. Alonso replaced Kimi Raikkonen, who also won on his Ferrari debut three years ago.
Massa passed Vettel soon after to claim second on his return to racing after a life-threatening crash last July in Hungary.
Lewis Hamilton overtook Vettel at the same spot as the McLaren driver finished third ahead of his Red Bull opponent.
Nico Rosberg was more than 40 seconds behind Alonso in fifth place. Mercedes teammate Michael Schumacher, who started seventh, was sixth in his first race in three years.
Alonso and Ferrari confirmed their pre-season expectations as title favorites after the two-time champion’s 22nd career victory and first since the Japanese Grand Prix in 2008. It was Alonso’s third win at the Middle East track, but his first since 2006 — when he won his last title.
Alonso worked his way up behind Vettel, who had won four of his six previous races from pole, to set up his pass at the final corner before the finish line straight.
Massa pulled up to Vettel on the same stretch before going around last year’s championship runner-up at the first corner, where Hamilton passed the German driver four laps later.
Schumacher’s new team, Mercedes, showed it has still got some work to do to provide him with a car worthy of an eighth title. Schumacher finished 3.9 seconds behind Rosberg.
Defending champion Jenson Button finished seventh for McLaren, while Mark Webber of Red Bull was eighth.
Tonio Liuzzi of Force India and Rubens Barrichello of Williams rounded out the top 10 to finish in the points following a change in the scoring system.
Ferrari changed both of their engines without penalty before the start as a precaution.
Karun Chandhok’s debut ended after two laps after he and Hispania Racing teammate Bruno Senna started from the pit lane.
Virgin Racing’s Lucas Di Grassi was out one lap later soon after Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg recovered from a wild spin across the track.
Virgin Racing failed to finish after Timo Glock also retired.
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