Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen Wins Formula 1 Season Opener
By Jamie Lee
After taking pole position the day before, Max Verstappen prevailed on race day and drove to victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday. He was followed by teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.
Verstappen went unchallenged throughout the race and finished 25 seconds ahead of the remaining 19 drivers. The three-time World Champion managed to clock the race's fastest lap with a 1:32.
This was Verstappen’s 55th Formula 1 victory.
During a post-race interview, Verstappen said, “I think today went even better than expected. I think the car was really nice to drive on every [tire] compound and I think we had a lot of pace. And yeah, it was super enjoyable to drive today."
Despite starting the race fifth, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was able to pass cars early and secure his spot on the second step of the podium. Perez finished 22 seconds behind Verstappen.
When asked how his race went, Perez cited difficulties with managing his tires.
“It was quite a tricky race, you know, with the management of the tyres – I think there's plenty we will learn from tonight's race, which will be important for the championship,” Perez told interviewer David Coulthard after the race. “But overall, I think it's a great way to start the season.”
Sainz Jr. put on a show by making a couple of daring overtakes on his teammate, Charles Leclerc, which earned him third place. This strong showing comes after Ferrari’s announcement that Sainz will be replaced by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
Sainz Jr. summed up his race by saying, “The start wasn't ideal but from then on I just managed my tyres well. And then from there, I could do my pace, overtook two or three cars on the way to the podium and then keeping up with a Red Bull there at the end, which was a pleasant surprise. Still not enough, not where we want to be, but a good step forward compared to last year and a solid start to the season.”
While Verstappen had an uneventful race up front, the rest of the field had everything to play for.
Leclerc started the race second but finished fourth after struggling with a brake issue. Unreliability in the car is a problem Ferrari has been facing for the last few seasons and one that will need to be ironed out if they hold any hope of catching Red Bull Racing.
Mercedes' 2024 car looked quick in the free practice sessions and their driver, George Russell, managed to start the race in third. However, the team’s performance in the race did not pan out in the way they may have hoped. Russell finished fifth while teammate Lewis Hamilton finished seventh.
The next Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place on March 9 in Saudi Arabia.
Full race results can be found here.