MANAMA, April 3, 2008 (AFP) - Story of Formula One season so far ahead of Sunday´s Bahrain Grand Prix here:

Australian Grand Prix - March 16

Lewis Hamilton showed that he had lost none of his sharpness over the close season by cruising to victory in his McLaren while world champions Ferrari melted in the Melbourne heat. The 23-year-old British star, who came within a point of landing the world driver´s title in his rookie season in 2007, controlled the race from the outset and had more than five seconds to spare at the chequered flag. Hamilton - recording his fifth win in 18 Grand Prix´ - came in ahead of BMW-Sauber´s German Nick Heidfeld and his compatriot Nico Rosberg in a Williams to strike first blood in the 18-race F1 campaign.

Standings: Hamilton 10pts, Heidfeld 8, Rosberg 6.

Malaysian Grand Prix - March 23

Ferrari bounced back as world champion Kimi Raikkonen took the cheqeured flag, though, team-mate Felipe Massa once again failed to finish. The Latin American´s error gave Pole Robert Kubica in his BMW a perfect opportunity to grab his career-best finish in second coming in ahead of steadily-improving Finn Heikki Kovalainen for McLaren Mercedes-Benz. Hamilton finished fifth after being demoted several places on the grid.

Leading standings: Hamilton 14pts, Raikkonen 11, Heidfeld 11.

afp08