MotorSportsTalk's Predictions: Bahrain GP - MotorSportsTalk

Lewis Hamilton may have dominated proceedings at the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend, but the real talking point coming out of Shanghai was the renewal of the tension between the Briton and his Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg – “renewal” being the right word if you believe it ever really went away.

Rosberg’s accusations following the race fell largely on deaf ears, but did provide a fascinating insight into the German’s bid for this year’s world championship. With nine defeats in the last ten races to Hamilton, a change is needed soon.

Ferrari also once again proved that it won’t roll over in the face of Mercedes dominance in 2015, and with a warmer race on the cards in Bahrain, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen could prove to be serious threats this weekend.

As usual, we’ve made our picks for the coming weekend, so take a look and let us know your predictions in the comments section below.

Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1)

Race Winner: Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari will be a genuine threat to Mercedes once again in Bahrain, but I still cannot see past a victory for Lewis Hamilton. The defending champion is in the form of his life and well on the way to a third world title. Expect his good form to continue in Bahrain this weekend.

Surprising Finish: Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has had something of a rotten deal so far in 2015, being hampered in Australia and Malaysia by incidents that he was blameless for. In China, he proved that he can compete with Vettel, and I’m tipping him for a podium finish on Sunday alongside his teammate.

Most to Prove: Pastor Maldonado. Contrary to what most may say, Pastor Maldonado is a quick and competitive racer – he just needs to keep the car on track. His efforts in China were hindered by a brake problem, but he now needs to prove in Bahrain that Lotus truly is the fourth-quickest team by scoring his first points of the season.

Additional Storyline to Watch: The podium ceremony. It’s the biggest non-story ever: Lewis Hamilton sprayed a girl with champagne; cue worldwide outrage. She didn’t care, nor do those who actually follow racing or know the context. There’s no champagne on the podium this weekend, but rose water instead. Will Lewis be more careful this time around? Who knows. And who cares?

Predict the Podium

1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari
3. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno)

Race Winner: Lewis Hamilton. At the track where he delivered a mental and physical blow to Nico Rosberg with his pass for the win last year, I see no reason why he won’t continue his domination this time around.

Surprising Finish: Valtteri Bottas. The Ferraris have been clear second best to the Mercedes since the season started but I like the Williams-Mercedes to upend that trend this week. Few would have pegged a Sergio Perez podium this race last year, and a Bottas podium pick this year isn’t nearly as off the reservation – if it would still be a surprise to beat the Ferraris.

Most to Prove: Nico Rosberg. Less talk. More walk. If you want to beat Lewis, then actually go and do it on track…

Additional Storyline to Watch: McLaren’s continued improvement. Within 2 seconds in Q1 at China was a promising development, and both cars made it home for the first time this year. Is this the weekend where either Fernando Alonso or Jenson Button makes it out of Q1 and/or into the points?

Predict the Podium

1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes
3. Valtteri Bottas Williams

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For full broadcast information on the Bahrain Grand Prix, click here.

Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.

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The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

*Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer*

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.

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Golden 805 Beer — *Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer*

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

MotorSportsTalk’s Predictions: Bahrain GP

Vicki Golden and 805 Beer tell a unique story from an Inverted Perspective

Read more about SuperMotocross