by Russell Atkins
It is one-all as the
Formula 1 teams head into the desert this weekend for the fifth Bahrain Grand Prix – the third round on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar – with McLaren-Mercedes and
Ferrari having landed a blow apiece in their battle for supremacy in 2008.
Though McLaren currently lead both the drivers’ and constructors’ world championship tables, however, it is their Italian rivals who look to have the upper hand at the moment, with nobody able to hold a candle to the two scarlet machines last time out in Malaysia,
Heikki Kovalainen coming home a distant third and
Lewis Hamilton trailing in fifth following a pit-stop delay.
Indeed, it looked set to be a Maranello demonstration until
Felipe Massa threw his F2008 into the gravel pit halfway through the race in Sepang, leaving
Kimi Raikkonen to canter on alone to an untroubled victory – one that has kick-started the Finn’s world title defence with a vengeance.
Massa has been tipped to fight back in Bahrain – scene of his fourth overall triumph in the top flight last year – by no less than Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, and with rumours escalating about the safety of his seat at the
Scuderia, the man from São Paolo is well aware of the importance of securing a good result this weekend after his failures to score in the opening two grands prix.
McLaren, meanwhile, will simply be hoping they can rein back in the pace displayed by the Prancing Horse in Sepang, but the omens are not promising. Not only has the Woking-based outfit never won in Bahrain – whilst Ferrari has won twice – it is also heading into the desert challenge distinctly on the back foot following its Malaysian drubbing.
