The current triple world champion of Formula 1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) started his title defense with the victory in the Bahrain Grand Prixthis Saturday at the Sakhir circuit.
The Dutch driver is accompanied on the podium by his Mexican teammate Sergio Pérez and the Spanish Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, second and third respectively.
“Incredible, it was better than expected, the car was very good with all the tires and we had a lot of pace. Nothing could have gone better. It is always special to have these kinds of days. But it is a long season,” Verstappen warned. .
Red Bull and its star confirmed that they are the immense favorites to renew their titles in the 2024 season, the densest in the history of Formula 1 with 24 races on the calendar.
Sainz and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, fourth, were the first among the ‘mortals’ after the Red Bull duo.
“I felt very strong, the start was not ideal, but from there I was able to manage the tires and set my pace. I was able to maintain myself with the Red Bull, but it was not enough. It is a step forward, but it is not where we want to be,” said the Spaniard, who will leave his position at Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton next year.
The Mercedes driver, seven-time world champion, was seventh, two places behind his teammate, also British George Russell.
Between them was his McLaren compatriot Lando Norris, while his teammate, the Australian Oscar Piastri, finished in eighth place.
The Spanish Fernando Alonso and the Canadian Lance Stroll, the Aston Martin partner, completed the Top-10.
Source: AFP
