SAKHIR, BAHRAIN – Daniel delivered a superb drive in a thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix to claim fourth place from 13th on the grid, as Sebastian battled past DRS and power issues to claim eight valuable points with sixth place.
While that was the shape of the first stint, with the two drivers maintaining pace and position as the varying strategies began to unfold. As the tactical picture began to clear, however, it transpired that the two-stopping Red Bulls were well place to score a good result having started in the midfield.
As the race headed towards its final third, Sebastian was sixth behind McLaren's Jenson Button, with Daniel seventh. Then came the major incident of the race. Pastor Maldonado lost control into Turn One and speared the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez. The Mexican driver's car was flipped over and off track and the safety car appeared. That erased all the gaps. At the front Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg set themselves up for the battle for victory, while Seb and Dan prepared themselves for an assault on the drivers ahead. When the SC left the circuit, it was Dan who made the first move.
A tough but clean and fair battle with Seb saw the Aussie take sixth and then he simply swept past the slowing Button to claim fifth. Seb wasn't to be left out and he too soon went past the McLaren. The champion wasn't having an easy time however and he was soon telling the pit wall that was down on power at the end of straights. Ahead, Dan passed Nico Hulkenberg to steal fourth. Seb attempted to follow but his compatriot defended sternly and without a full arsenal Seb had to settle for sixth ahead of the Williams cars of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. At the front the race was won by Hamilton from Rosberg, with Force India's Perez third. Afterwards, Daniel said his RB10 had got better and better through the race, allowing his make progress.
'It was an awesome race; it was exciting,' he said. 'I think the first stint was a bit follow-the-leader, but from the second stint onwards, the race really started to turn up the heat and there were more battles going on in front and behind – it was good to be a part of them. We got close to the podium today, I think within half a second, so I was doing all I could.
Sebastian, meanwhile, hailed Daniel's drive as proof of the pace within the RB10.
'I think it was a busy race today, especially at the end after the safety car, but it's a shame we couldn't get further up,' he said. 'Daniel proved that there was a little bit more to get from the car today, I couldn't really get to that bit, so I'm not so happy with my day. For some reason we seemed to be really slow on the straights, and not just against the Mercedes. Merc has a stronger package, so there's work ahead of us. It was straight forward with Daniel today, we worked well together as a team and we raced well, but surely I would like to have finished higher up.'
Team Principal Christian Horner admitted that the team had delivered the maximum possible at the end of a fascinating race. 'A very interesting race today; I think we got everything out of it that we could,' he said. 'The drivers worked together as a team earlier in the race when they were on different tire strategies and then raced each other hard at the end of the race.
'Daniel put in a great drive and, with another lap, possibly could have made it to the podium,' he added. 'It was good to see them both racing each other cleanly and fairly. Sebastian reported a problem in a straight line, which we need to investigate because he didn't manage to overtake anyone at the end of the straight all afternoon, so there's plenty of work to do. We got a good haul of points today and we now have a couple of days testing to try and further close that gap to Mercedes.'
About Infiniti
Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in approximately 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan and the United States. Production in China and Europe will start soon along with the expansion of the brand's portfolio.
As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the Formula One team, and Sebastian Vettel, its four-time World Champion driver, serves as Infiniti's Director of Performance.
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About Infiniti in Formula One
Infiniti, the premium automotive brand, starts the 2013 season as Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing. With a deepened technical collaboration across people, process and technologies, an 'open door' approach is enabling both sides to access a pool of innovation, new technologies and R&D resources in the shared pursuit of precision and performance.
Since the partnership's inception in 2011 it has already seen the launch of the Infiniti FX Vettel Edition and product development input from Sebastian Vettel and test driver Sebastien Buemi for the all-new Infiniti Q50 premium sports saloon. Infiniti continues to be the most visible automotive brand in Formula One, and the deepened partnership will ensure closer alignment on an increasing number of future team collaborations.
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In an action-packed race, Daniel made a low key start but was soon advancing through the ranks, passing McLaren's Kevin Magnussen for 10th place on lap 11. He then set off in pursuit of ninth-placed Seb. Sebastian, meanwhile, was in a battle of his own. On lap 15 he reported that his DRS was no longer working, an issue that left him to rely on his wits and some superb car positioning as he attempted to fend off attacks from rivals.
'The car came to me as the race went on and I was happy with how I moved up through the pack, so a good day. It was good fun to race Sebastian, it was hard but fair and we left each other room. That's what we want from each other and we discussed it beforehand, we're racers and that's what we enjoy doing.'
