Win in Bahrain was not easy: Vettel

Favourites yet to be decided, says world champion.

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel insisted his win at the Bahrain Grand Prix was hardly ‘easy’ despite a comfortable nine-second difference between him and Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen.

According to Sky Sports, the three-time world champion said that winning any Formula One race was equally challenging for every driver, regardless of the capabilities of their respective cars.

“I was in a very comfortable situation towards the end of the race,” said Vettel. “We definitely didn’t think that it would be that ‘easy’ - easy always in quotation marks as winning a Formula One race is never easy.

“I have to say that at the beginning the many wheel-to-wheel fights were great fun and then it went smoother and smoother with every lap gone by. Why isn’t every day like that?”

With fifteen races still remaining, Vettel is reluctant to see himself as the favourite just yet.

“It is a long championship. I think if you look at the first four races Lotus is very quick, they manage the tyres pretty well in the race. “

Bahrain looks long term with F1 race

Meanwhile, Formula One left Bahrain with commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone talking of a five-year extension to the race contract and the possibility of switching it to the start of the season next year.

“I feel they do a super job and we’re more than happy to give them a new contract for five years. I don’t see any problems,” the 82-year-old billionaire told Reuters at the Sakhir circuit.

Bahrain is the most controversial race on the calendar due to concerns about alleged human rights abuses after a bloody crackdown on a 2011 anti-government uprising in the tiny Gulf kingdom.

The race was cancelled in 2011 but the last two have proceeded without incident, despite regular protests and clashes between police and demonstrators in mainly Shia villages far removed from the circuit and organisers are planning for the long term.

The current contract runs to 2016.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2013.