McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and now Red Bull have all won races so far in 2012. We've had a few close-run championships in recent years, says Michele Merlino, but the last time one began this open, with such a broad spectrum of machinery, was in 1983!

The Bahrain Grand Prix was the fourth career hat-trick for Sebastian Vettel. The German was back on the top step of the podium after a drought of five races and is the fourth different winner in four races in a repeat of the 2003 championship. Unlike that season though these winners have come from four different manufacturers.

To find a similar situation like that we have to go back to 29 years to 1983, when the first four winners were: Nelson Piquet (Brabham), John Watson (McLaren), Alain Prost (Renault) and Patrick Tambay (Ferrari).

To continue reading this feature...

You must have an AUTOSPORT+ subscription. Prices start from just $1.50 per week and give you full unrestriced access to all news and features. View package options? Magazine subscriber?

AUTOSPORT+

from just $1.50 per week

• Get unlimited access to AUTOSPORT with news and views from the paddock
• Enjoy AUTOSPORT+: subscriber-only analysis, comment and top-quality pictures
• Explore every F1 stat in the world’s best motorsport database

View all package options