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Three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Bahrain Grand Prix Sunday, easily beating Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean in a race that has been the target of rights groups and anti-government protesters in the divided nation.

After taking the lead for good on the 17th lap, the Red Bull driver was never challenged. Raikkonen closed the gap in the final five laps but ran out of time. Grosjean passed Force India's Paul di Resta for third for his best finish this season.

Vettel retains the championship lead after four of 19 races, with his advantage over Raikkonen now 10 points.

FINAL RESULTS

1. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1:36:00.498
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus - Renault +00:09.111
3. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 00:19.507
4. Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India - Mercedes 00:21.727
5. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 00:35.230
6. Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 00:35.998
7. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull - Renault 00:37.244
8. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 00:37.574
9. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 00:41.126
10. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 00:46.631
11. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams - Renault 01:06.450
12. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari 01:12.933
13. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 01:16.719
14. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - Renault 01:21.511
15. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 01:26.364
16. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1 lap
17. Charles Pic (France) Caterham - Renault 1 lap
18. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1 lap
19. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Cosworth 1 lap
20. Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Cosworth 1 lap
21. Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham - Renault 2 laps
r. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 41 laps

Vettel claimed his first victory of the season and the 22nd of his career with a near-flawless drive from pole position to the chequered flag to come home ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 champion, and his Lotus team-mate Romain Grosjean.

It was Grosjean’s first podium finish in Formula One and Raikkonen’s fifth and Vettel’s first win since the Indian Grand Prix last year.

Australian Mark Webber finished fourth in the second Red Bull, confirming their return to form after a lacklustre start to the year.

Vettel’s win lifted him to the top of the drivers’ standings with 53 points ahead of Hamilton on 49 and Webber one point behind. He was the fourth different winner in four races so far in the 2012 season.

German Nico Rosberg, who claimed his maiden victory for the Mercedes team at last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, finished fifth ahead of Briton Paul Di Resta of Force India and two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton, who led the championship before Bahrain, came home eighth after a troubled race for McLaren, ahead of Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari and, amazingly, seven-times champion ichael Schumacher in the second Mercedes. Schumacher had started from 22nd on the grid.

Race results

1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1hour 35min 10.990sec

2 Kimi Raikkonen (Finlnad) Lotus +3.333sec

3 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus +10.194sec

4 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull +38.788sec

5 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes +55.460sec

6 Paul di Resta (Great Britain) Force India +57.543sec

7 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari +57.803sec

8 Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) McLaren +58.984sec

9 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari +1:04.999sec

10 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes +1:11.490sec

11 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber +1:12.702sec

12 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India +1:16.539sec

13 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber +1:30.334sec

14 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso +1:33.723sec

15 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso) +1 lap

16 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham +1 lap

17 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham +1 lap

18 Jenson Button (Great Britain) McLaren +2 laps

19 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia +2 laps

20 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT +2 laps

21 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT +2 laps

22 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams +3 laps

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