FORMULA ONE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX:FERNANDO ALONSO found out just what Michael Schumacher has been missing about Formula One as he profited from a late-race problem to Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull to claim victory on his Ferrari debut.

Schumacher, inextricably linked with the Ferrari name, famously took the Italian team from a ramshackle enthusiasts’ club to five straight championships in the early part of the last decade. Alonso, yesterday, found out how much Schumacher’s legacy of relentless perfectionism still informs the Italian squad as, after a poor 2009, the team delivered up a 2010 car that has title contender written all over it.

In Alonso, there is a streak of ruthlessness that suggests that, after three wayward seasons with Kimi Raikkonen leading the Ferrari charge, the Spaniard is the true successor to the seat vacated by Schumacher at the end of 2006. After Alonso’s fiery display yesterday, a return to the golden days certainly looks possible.

“Coming back the top of the podium is always special but even more special with Ferrari,” said Alonso. We have history behind the team and all the expectations a driver has when he drives for Ferrari. There is no better way to start the relationship,” he added.

“This is the best team in the world, we worked hard all winter, the guys did a very good job in winter testing. This first victory is dedicated to all the people in Italy, the mechanics here and president di Montezemolo.”

It won’t be plain sailing, however, Alonso’s eventually dominant win – he ended the race a massive 16 seconds of team-mate Felipe Massa and 23 clear of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton – was only achieved once the Red Bull Racing car of Sebastian Vettel, utterly dominant until lap 34, developed an exhaust system problem which robbed him of power.

Before that crucial point, the Ferrari pair of Alonso and Massa had struggled in the Red Bull’s wake, staying in touch with the German but only occasionally threatening any kind of attack.

Indeed, Vettel had been imperious in qualifying on Saturday to claim the sixth pole position of his career ahead of Massa and Alonso. That performance advantage was pressed home early in the race as the German, who won two of the final three rounds last year and an ever-improving Red Bull, opened a healthy gap to the Ferraris and the trailing pack.

But just as last year, when poor reliability had robbed Vettel of the chance to truly challenge for the title, it was a technical glitch that saw him lose a chance for a sixth career win.

When Alonso, Massa and Hamilton swept past, it looked like Vettel’s race was utterly run but the young star showed why he so highly regarded in F1 with a battling race to the flag in which somehow found enough pace to fend off Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg and hold fourth.

Which leads on to Schumacher. Eclipsed all through practice and qualifying by team-mate Rosberg, the seven-time champion again found himself struggling to match the younger German’s pace in the race and despite claiming a decent sixth from a car that flattered to deceive early in the weekend it was clear afterwards that the notoriously perfectionist German was less than pleased with his return to competition.

“Overtaking is basically impossible, other than if somebody makes a mistake – Lewis had a little one (mistake) so Nico was able to pass him, but (Hamilton) got back past at the pitstop – that’s about it,” a flinty Schumacher said. “Unfortunately, that’s (all) the action we are going to have with this kind of environment of race strategy. But, anyway, it was good fun. Especially the beginning and now we are going to work forward in order to catch up what is in front of us.”

Schumacher can take consolation from at least being unable to overtake while in a points-scoring position. For F1 newcomers, Hispania Racing and Virgin Racing, it was a dismal afternoon. Both teams’ drivers failed to finish, Hispania’s Bruno Senna lasting longest, reaching lap 33 before mechanical failure left him beached in the gravel traps.

It was a better afternoon for Lotus, the famous marque at least seeing one driver reach the chequered flag, former McLaren man Heikki Kovalainen making it to the finish, though a full two laps adrift of Alonso.

LEADING FINAL POSITIONS:

1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari

1hr 39mins 20secs

2 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:39:36

3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1:39:44

4 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1:39:59

5 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:40:01

6 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:40:05

7 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:40:06

8 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:40:07

9 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Force India 1:40:13

10 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams 1:40:23

11 Robert Kubica (Pol) Renault 1:40:29

12 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:40:43

13 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:40:53

14 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Williams at 1 lap

15 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Lotus F1 at 2 laps, 16 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso at 3 laps, 17 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Lotus F1 at 3 laps.

Not Classified: 18 Pedro de la Rosa (Spa) BMW Sauber 28 laps completed, 19 Bruno Senna (Bra) HRT-F1 17 laps completed, 20 Timo Glock (Ger) Virgin Racing 16 laps completed, 21 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault 13 laps completed, 22 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) BMW Sauber 11 laps completed, 23 Lucas di Grassi (Bra) Virgin Racing 2 laps completed, 24 Karun Chandhok (Ind) HRT-F1 1 lap completed.

DRIVER STANDINGS:

1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 25pts

2 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 18

3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 15

4 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 12

5 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 10

6 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes GP8

7 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 6

8 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 4

9 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Force India 2

10 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams 1

11 Robert Kubica (Pol) Renault 0, 12 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 0, 13 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 0, 14 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Williams 0, 15 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Lotus F1 0, 16 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 0, 17 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Lotus F1 0, 18 Pedro de la Rosa (Spa) BMW Sauber 0, 19 Bruno Senna (Bra) HRT-F1 0, 20 Timo Glock (Ger) Virgin Racing 0, 21 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault 0, 22 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) BMW Sauber 0, 23 Lucas di Grassi (Bra) Virgin Racing 0, 24 Karun Chandhok (Ind) HRT-F1 0

MANUFACTURERS STANDINGS:

1 Ferrari 43pts

2 McLaren 21

3 Mercedes GP 18

4 Red Bull 16

5 Force India 2

6 Williams 1

7 Renault 0, 8 Scuderia Toro Rosso 0, 9 Lotus F1 0, 10 BMW Sauber 0, 11 HRT-F1 0, 12 Virgin Racing 0