Ordinarily making the podium from ninth on the grid would be a result eagerly accepted but for Lewis Hamilton there was an air of disappointment in doing so at the Bahrain Grand Prix after what had looked for a time like a comeback drive that might have returned a remarkable Mercedes one-two. The ambition was there but for Hamilton and his team‑mate Valtteri Bottas, who was second, their hopes were dashed by a bold Ferrari strategy call and a remarkable piece of driving by the winner, Sebastian Vettel.

Bahrain Grand Prix: Vettel pips Bottas after Raikkonen runs over mechanic's leg - as it happened Read more

Mercedes made their play in the form of opting to put both their drivers on one-stop strategies, when Ferrari were looking to bring Vettel home from pole with a two-stopper. A mid‑race switch to match Mercedes meant Vettel had to make his softer tyres last 39 laps to the flag, with a life span predicted by Pirelli of only 30. Had he had to pit again both Hamilton and Bottas would have passed him. By the end his grip was gone but he kept it on the island with exemplary control, holding off Bottas’s late charge and thwarting Mercedes’ carefully engineered plans.

After a five-place grid penalty damage limitation was Hamilton’s goal and he was happy to have taken the 15 points but his disappointment reflects that Vettel now has two wins from two races this season and a 17-point lead over the British driver in the world title fight. Equally, Ferrari have shown that their race pace is strong.

Mercedes have been insistent that their rivals were a real threat and the Scuderia’s performance at the Sakhir circuit suggests that once again this season is going to be a tight fight at the front.

The Ferrari has performed superbly across the weekend in Bahrain, well balanced, with great pace and working its tyres well in the high temperatures. Vettel made the most of their advantage.

His team’s jubilation will be coloured, however, by a serious pit‑stop error that cost Kimi Raikkonen his race and left a mechanic on the floor when the Finn was released before the left rear wheel had been fitted properly. Francesco Cigarini sustained a fractured tibia and fibula and underwent surgery in Bahrain. He posted a message on Instagram on Monday morning explaining “Surgery OK. I have to thank all the people worried for me. Nothing else, just a big thanks. Hugs!” Raikkonen liked the post.

The stewards imposed a fine of €50,000 (£43,000) for an unsafe release. The team use a lights system to indicate to the driver when to leave the pit box. “I go when the light is green, I didn’t see what happened behind and unfortunately he got hurt,” Raikkonen said. Ferrari had already received a fine after an unsafe release for Raikkonen in practice and will likely now have to review their pit-stop procedure.

On track, in what proved to be a tense battle, Mercedes had put Hamilton on a single stop from the off and with Bottas in second place when he first pitted, chose to do the same for the Finn. With Hamilton having scythed through the field to fourth, including a bravura move to pass three cars at once at turn one, the lap times suggested that the team had made the right call and a victory was on the cards.

Even on the quicker rubber it became clear that Vettel would not be able to gain enough of a lead to cover a second stop and so Ferrari rolled the dice. “Around 20 laps I got the call that we are changing strategy,” Vettel said. “My initial thought was: ‘How the hell do you expect me to do that?’”

But having put the German under intense pressure, he kept his composure. By the death Bottas was crawling all over his gearbox for the final lap but Vettel did enough. “With 10 laps to go, the hammer dropped and the tyres got a lot worse,” Vettel said. “It was difficult to keep it there. The last five laps were really, really, tricky just to stay on the racing line and not to make a mistake. It was quite cool when I crossed the line.”

Hamilton had suffered from communications problems, unable to ascertain exactly how much he needed to push and when, but ultimately with Vettel going to the end, catching him would have proved too much.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Race winner Sebastian Vettel celebrates on the podium. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

The British driver looked deflated when he emerged from the car but said he was pleased with the result, while acknowledging that once again, as he was last season, he is playing catch-up to Vettel. “I am honestly really, really happy with it,” he said. “Emotions are always firing when you get out of the car. It’s so intense. And also my thoughts were on the world championship. I have lost two races now. But to come from ninth and get third I am really happy with that. It was damage limitation. But I am 17 points down already.”

Sergio Marchionne, Ferrari’s president, said: “It was a difficult race and Sebastian drove like a true champion.”

Vettel has four titles already but perhaps Marchionne feels his team’s boldness augurs well for a fifth. No driver who has won the opening two races of the season has not gone on to take the title since 1982, when Alain Prost won the openers but Keke Rosberg the championship. There are more races now of course but it is a statistic that will please Vettel. He thoroughly deserved the win and admirable as Mercedes’ dash was to try to deny Ferrari, Hamilton and his team know they truly have their work cut out.

Max Verstappen was forced to retire with damage after a puncture incurred when he touched Hamilton and the second red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo concluded a poor day for team when he retired with a loss of power on lap two.

Pierre Gasly completed a superb weekend for Toro Rosso to claim a remarkable fourth place in front of the Haas of Kevin Magnussen. Renault’s Nico Hülkenberg was in sixth; with Fernando Alonso’s McLaren in seventh ahead of his team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne. Sauber too will be hugely pleased with a ninth-place for Marcus Ericsson. Esteban Ocon in the Force India was in 10th.