Since the canceled event back in 2011, the victor of each subsequent Grand Prix in Bahrain has gone on to win the championship title at the end of the season.
A deflated Valtteri Bottas admitted that he felt very disappointed to be asked to let his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pass him during Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel captured his second Formula One season victory thanks to a flawless Ferrari team strategy at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday - beating Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton and reclaiming sole possession of the championship lead.
"It is, of course, hugely satisfying to be back on the top step of the podium", Sergio Marchionne said. I'm really enjoying the vehicle.
The race turned on two key moments - an aggressive early pit stop by Ferrari for Vettel; and Hamilton's decision to slow on the way into the pits when the safety auto was sent out following a collision between Williams driver Lance Stroll and Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz.
The German, who did not start in Bahrain a year ago in a season that Ferrari completed without a win, is having the time of his life again and relishing the battle with Mercedes. "We will pushard together, keep fighting", said Hamilton, who added that the penalty was "his fault".
"All this is the fruit of superb work at the track and in Maranello, so my compliments not just to Seb for his achievements in Bahrain, but also to the whole team".
Bottas was unable to pull away from Vettel and was clearly holding up the pack as the two Red Bulls stayed within range of Hamilton, the top five cars running within three seconds for much of the first stint.
Raikkonen, who qualified more than three tenths down on team-mate Sebastian Vettel on Saturday, slipped from fifth on the grid to seventh early on.
"It was a really great day", Vettel said.
As Sunday's race was drawing to a close under floodlights, Hamilton was catching fast but ran out of time and finished nearly seven seconds behind.
Hamilton's Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas started on pole position for the first time in his career and ended up third.
"The auto was a dream today ... the last half of the in-lap with the fireworks & the track lit up, I just thought I love what I do", he added. Verstappen managed to jump both Raikkonen and Ricciardo for fourth place behind Hamilton.
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"I tried my hardest to catch up, but it was a long old way to go".
The two teams had been very evenly matched in race pace but Ferrari's aggressive pit strategy gave Vettel the advantage, and when Hamilton pitted under the safety vehicle he was too slow into the pit entry and took a five-second penalty. "Losing points for the team is definitely painful". However, his race was over corners later as his "brakes failed" and he went straight on, through the gravel and into the barrier.
Carlos Sainz had pit at the same time as Verstappen and as he was rejoining the circuit he came out behind Lance Stroll's Williams.
Hamilton and Bottas rounded out the podium for Mercedes with the pole victor finishing 20 seconds down on Vettel thus failing to convert his maiden F1 pole into a win.
Bottas kept the lead for the opening laps, with Vettel close behind in a five-car train.
Hamilton's race, already compromised by Vettel passing him off the start for second place, unravelled further when he drove "unnecessarily slowly" as he came in for his first pit stop.
Hamilton came in with 15 laps left - and took his time penalty.
With Hamilton flying on his Soft rubber, and being the quickest man out on track, Bottas allowed Lewis to sweep through into P2 with Vettel 13 seconds up the road.
"We don't know what the outcome would've been if Lewis had been at the front early on", said team boss Toto Wolff.
Meanwhile, there was more misery for McLaren.
Fernando Alonso and teammate Stoffel Vandoorne in the McLaren Hondas were unlucky, both retiring with fuel pressure problems after a particularly good showing by Alonso initially.
Ferrari are also expected to challenge Mercedes for constructors' championship this season after years of domination by the Germany-based team.
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