Ajit Karn
At the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, world champion Max Verstappen led home teammate Sergio Perez in a dominant Red Bull one-two. Verstappen won his first race of the season and his first at the Sakhir circuit.
The defending double world champion led from start to finish, excluding pit stops, to establish himself as the heavy favourite for a third consecutive drivers’ championship this year.
It was his first victory in the Gulf state after 10 tries.
Behind the two Red Bulls, two-time champion Fernando Alonso continued to make light of his 41 years by racing to a thrilling third-place finish for Aston Martin in his first race since replacing the retired four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.
It was his record-breaking 356th Formula One race in a career that began 22 years earlier, to the weekend, at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Carlos Sainz, whom he overtook in a late battle for the podium, finished fourth in the second Ferrari, ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Lance Stroll, who raced in the second Aston Martin just weeks after fracturing both wrists and a toe in a preseason cycling accident.
George Russell finished seventh for Mercedes, clear of Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, who had started last, and Alex Albon, who finished 10th for Williams and earned a point.
Charles Leclerc, who won the race in 2022, was unable to complete it due to a Ferrari engine failure on the 41st lap.
“Thank you, folks,” said Verstappen, who is 25 years old. “It’s exactly the beginning we required. I had a strong start and first segment, followed by a hiatus during which I tended to the tyres.”
Verstappen made a clean, fast start to take the lead as Leclerc passed Perez for second and Stroll collided with his Aston Martin teammate Alonso at Turn 4 while braking.
Both Mercedes got off to strong starts and overtook Alonso, with Hamilton rising to fifth ahead of Russell in pursuit of Sainz as Verstappen established a commanding lead.
By the fifth circuit, he was four seconds ahead of Perez as Leclerc holds him at bay.
Gasly initiated the pit stops on lap 10, switching his Alpine from softs to hards, swiftly followed by Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda as tyre degradation took affect early.
Hamilton pitted from fifth on lap 13, causing a classic struggle as Alonso battled past Russell to reclaim his original grid position and advance to third when both Ferraris pitted. Russell came next.
Verstappen arrived a lap later, opted for softer tyres, and handed the lead to Perez, while Australian novice Oscar Piastri’s McLaren debut was cut short by electrical issues.
The champion rejoined the race in second place and regained the lead when Perez pitted on lap 18, propelling Leclerc to second until the Mexican passed him in turn one on lap 26.
As the leaders prepared for their final segment, Hamilton pitted again on lap 31 for more hards, followed by Sainz and Russell. Behind them, a beleaguered Esteban Ocon of Alpine, struck with three time penalties for minor infractions, also pitted again.
Perez and Verstappen then completed their second pit stops, with Verstappen rejoining the race with a 12-second advantage.
The Ferrari of Leclerc lost propulsion on the straightaway. He lodged it safely, prompting a brief virtual safety car intervention, with 15 circuits remaining, giving Red Bull the possibility of a comfortable one-two, 23 seconds ahead of Sainz in the second Ferrari.
“No, no, no!” Leclerc shrieked. “Move on, now! What occurred, gentlemen? No power.”
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All of this left the two Spaniards battling for third, with the old master squeezing by on lap 45 after the pair appeared to contact in a frantic and dramatic battle ahead of the fifth-placed Hamilton, who was observing.
