Defending champion Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to strengthen his overall lead in the Formula One standings with his third win in four races this season and 36th of his career.

The British driver started from pole for the first time in the desert race under floodlights and was largely untroubled, finishing ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, whose sloppy error with two laps remaining let in Raikkonen.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, the only driver to beat Hamilton this year, looked set for a podium position until a late front wing change ended the four-time F1 champion's chances and he placed fifth behind Valtteri Bottas.

Jenson Button, last in Saturday's qualifying, did not start due to a technical problem.