Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel returned to the top of the standings on Sunday with Red Bull's first victory of the season in a lively Bahrain Grand Prix that went ahead without incident despite protests against it.

The 24-year-old German's 22nd career triumph, and first in Bahrain, made him the fourth different winner in four races.

He was pushed hard in the closing laps by Finland's 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who finished second ahead of  Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean in the Frenchman's first appearance on the F1 podium.

Australian Mark Webber was fourth in the other Red Bull for the fourth successive race. 'It was a difficult race, extremely tough,' said Vettel, who closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he stood on the podium.

Despite nightly clashes elsewhere in the kingdom between anti-government protesters and riot police, teams and organisers could breathe a sigh of relief that the race went off without trouble on the track.

Bahrain went ahead hosting the race despite calls from some quarters to cancel the Grand Prix.

Announcing his decision to go ahead with the race, Bahrain's Crown Prince HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa had said on Friday: 'For those of us trying to navigate a way out of this political problem, having the race allows us to build bridges across communities, to get people working together. It allows us to celebrate our nation. It is an idea that is positive, not one that is divisive.' 

'I genuinely believe that this race is a force for good', he had said.  

Vettel, who had started from pole position for the first time this season after a record 15 starts from the top slot last year, made his trademark single-finger salute for the first time since last year after taking the chequered flag.

With fuel running low, he was then told to pull over and stop immediately at the pit exit - which meant he had to run down the pit lane to embrace his mechanics.

Vettel now has 53 points, ousting McLaren's Lewis Hamilton from the top. The Briton, who finished eighth after two nightmare pitstops, has 49.

Red Bull also overtook McLaren in the constructors' championship.     

Germany's Nico Rosberg, winner of the previous race in China in the first victory by a Mercedes works team since 1955, finished fifth with a stewards' enquiry hanging over him for moves on Hamilton and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Britain's Paul Di Resta was sixth for Force India with Alonso seventh and Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa finally in the points in ninth ahead of Germany's seven-times champion Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes.

McLaren's Jenson Button retired on the penultimate lap. - Reuters