Ferrari one-two in 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso leads a Ferrari one-two at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso led Felipe Massa home to claim a one-two for Ferrari in the opening F1 Grand Prix in Bahrain.

It looked as if it should have been Red Bull’s weekend. Or at least Sebastian Vettel’s weekend. But in the end the unreliability that seems to have crept in to the Red Bulls stopped them from carrying on where they left off in 2009, despite Vettel leading the first F1 Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain for the majority of the race.

When Vettel’s car began to slow – seemingly with exhaust problems – it was Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari and team mate Felipe Massa who sailed by to claim a one-two for Ferrari. Behind them, but eventually in front of Vettel to claim third place and a podium finish, was Lewis Hamiltoin in the McLaren. Team mate and current world champion Button could only manage seventh place after spending most of the race stuck behind returning F1 superstar Micahael Schumacher.

Schumacher seemed less sure of himself than we’ve ever seen before but was, towards the end of the race, matching team mate Rosberg on lap times. And perhaps that’s just the caution that comes with age; find your feet before you show what you can do. He will have been disappointed with his first race but anyone else would have been delighted to be out for three years and finish the first race in sixth place, just one place behind team mate Rosberg.

Webber didn’t have the greatest race weekend he’s ever had in his Red Bull and only managed to finish in eighth place – the last place of the ‘competitive’ teams before the also-rans race. The also-rans race was won by Liuzzi in the Force India with the last points-winning place (10th this season instead of 8th) taken by veteran Barrichello in the Williams.

For the new teams this was something of an extended practice, but Lotus came out as kings of the new boys by finishing the race and picking up 15th and 17th places.

On to Melbourne in two weeks time where we may well start to see if Ferrari really will be dominant; if Red Bull can cure the unreliability; if McLaren can get that bit of extra speed and if Schumacher can reclaim his Mojo in the Mercedes.