Fisichella: win shows potential
Fisichella had luck to thank for his first Grand Prix win in Brazil in 2003, and he was given a lucky break for Sunday's race when weather worked in his favour in the first qualifying session.
But the Italian driver did not put a foot wrong as he led from start to finish and after cruising to the chequered flag he insisted Renault will continue to live up to the pre-season hype about the team's title chances this season.
"It is completely different (to my first win),"said Fisichella, who took his first GP victory in the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, but was only declared the winner a week after the race. "It was a great day for me, a fantastic race, I was conservative and I didn't push. This is the best part of my career, to win the first race of the season is great."
"I know this is just the first race but already we have fantastic potential. I felt it the first time I drove the car and it was easy to drive, so we need just to work on it, carry on with development and try to win again."
Fisichella took it easy from the off as he held a comfortable gap to initial second-placed driver Jarno Trulli then kept Scot David Coulthard's Red Bull Racing car at long distance before Rubens Barrichello moved into second spot.
The Ferrari driver moved into the runners-up spot after the final set of stops and began to push Fisichella but the Italian had plenty in reserve to maintain the gap and ease his way to the finish.
"Rubens was catching me at one point so I drove a bit faster but the car was great, had good balance and the tyres were consistent from beginning to end," he said. "I would like to thank all the mechanics and the whole team.
"For the first part of the race I was conservative so at the end the car was still really, really good, in fact the last five or four laps I did my quickest lap of the race.
Team-mate Fernando Alonso also finished on the podium and Fisichella added: "I am happy for Fernando to finish third and that is a great result for the team. I am really confident for the rest of the season."
Previous article
Happy Fisichella Confident of More Glory
Next article
Barrichello: Ferrari Still Strong
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Giancarlo Fisichella |
| Author | Will Gray |
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen’s emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber team-mate’s own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here’s how Nick Heidfeld’s career was chilled by the Iceman
