The 2024 F1 season opener in Bahrain proved one thing – that reigning world champion Max Verstappen still remains the driver to beat. The Red Bull driver cruised to victory, 22 seconds clear of teammate Sergio Perez. Carlos Sainz defeated his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to secure the final spot on the podium.
- Verstappen wins, 22.457 secs ahead of Perez
- Sainz P3, Leclerc P4 for Ferrari
Verstappen takes dominant Bahrain GP
Starting from pole position, Verstappen held the lead into Turn 1 and there was no looking back throughout the 57-lap race. It was complete domination out at front – he pitted both times with sufficient gaps, crossed the chequered flag over 22 seconds clear of Perez and even secured a bonus point for setting the fastest lap.
“I think today went even better than expected. I think the car was really nice to drive, on every [tyre] compound I think we had a lot of pace. It was just super enjoyable to drive today, we really stayed out of trouble and it’s a great start to the year – it couldn’t have been better,” said Verstappen.
Sainz beats Leclerc to P3
Sainz may be out of a drive for next year, with Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025. The news may just a fueled a fire, with the Spaniard pulling off feisty overtakes on teammate Leclerc to grab third place.
Leclerc struggled with tyre degradation and locked up on several occasions, complaining about a brake issue. However, he did pick off George Russell in the closing stages to finish fourth.
Over at Mercedes, both Russell and Hamilton encountered battery issues. Hamilton at one point even reported a broken seat. As a result, Russell had to settle for fifth place, while Hamilton finished seventh.
Both McLaren drivers finished in the points, with Lando Norris separating the two Mercedes drivers in P6 and Oscar Piastri in P8. The last two points-scoring spots were taken by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The latter had to climb his way up the field after being spun around by Nico Hulkenberg on the opening lap.
F1 now heads to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian GP on March 7-9. Just like Bahrain, the Saudi Arabia race will also be held on a Saturday.
2024 Bahrain GP results
