Vettel wins more admirers

Sebastian Vettel looked more than ever a champion in waiting on Sunday despite an engine problem dashing his hopes of a pole-to-flag victory in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

After dominating qualifying, the 22-year-old Red Bull driver led comfortably until the 33rd of 49 laps. He eventually finished fourth.

"It's a pity," the German said, displaying a flair for understatement as well as speed. "We had control of the race today and we were on top of the strategy. Everything was running smoothly. I think at every point I knew how my tyres were, so we kept good control of the tyres and brakes... it seems something mechanical broke. Luckily we could continue and finished fourth but we should have won today."

After initially suspecting an exhaust failure for the sudden loss of power that allowed both Ferraris and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to go past him, the team said later that the problem was to do with the Renault engine. Despite the disappointment, Vettel's afternoon was impressive.

"Sometimes motor racing can be quite cruel," Red Bull principal Christian Horner told Reuters with a pained smile after a lengthy debrief with engineers in the darkening paddock. "He was brilliant. What was so impressive about him today was how he controlled the race from the front, but he didn't get flustered at all after the problem and just adjusted his driving and then pushed like hell in the last few laps. He was awesome to keep (Mercedes' German driver Nico) Rosberg behind him. This year he's in with a genuine chance, but it's a long year. One down, 18 to go."

Eddie Jordan, the former team owner who gave Vettel's compatriot and seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher his Formula One debut in 1991, echoed the compliments.

"I think Vettel is looking great," he told Reuters. "I think he looks supreme, absolutely brilliant."