In Stunning Turn Of Events, Max Verstappen Wins Bahrain Grand Prix
The past month in Red Bull Racing has been turbulent, to say the least, but one thing remains remarkably consistent: Max Verstappen winning races by jaw dropping margins.
February 2024 started with an accusation of inappropriate conduct against team principal Christian Horner, which led to an independent investigation. Just a few days before the start of the season in Bahrain though, Horner was cleared.
READ: Red Bull’s Christian Horner Cleared In Inappropriate Behavior Investigation
Then alleged text messages and photos from Horner to a female Red Bull employee leaked, but he was in his usual place on the pit wall for the Bahrain Grand Prix Saturday morning. Though given how dominant Max Verstappen was yet again, it may not have mattered.
After the most dominant season in F1 history in 2023, winning 19 races on his way to an easy world championship, Vertsappen started 2024 exactly the same way. He coasted to an easy win, spending most of the race driving by himself on the track with no one even remotely visible in the mirror. At one point, Verstappen set the fastest lap by running *seconds* faster than any other driver; four or five seconds faster than some in the middle portion of the grid.
If anything, he appears even more dominant than last year.
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 02: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 02, 2024 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen Looks Unbeatable To Start 2024
Heading into the Bahrain Grand Prix, there were some commentators suggesting that the gap between Verstappen and Red Bull and the rest of the field may have narrowed. It has not.
Sergio Perez completed the 1-2 finish for Red Bull, with Carlos Sainz finishing a fairly distant third to complete the podium. Teams like McLaren and Ferrari that were widely expected to make strides towards challenging for wins most certainly did not. Charles Leclerc struggled with braking issues, McLaren and Lando Norris hung around in the midfield but never truly moved into contention for a podium spot.
The once dominant Mercedes team also had a disappointing start; George Russell had a solid, but unspectacular race before locking up in the 46th lap to let Charles Leclerc by, and Lewis Hamilton was stuck in a midfield while telling the team radio that the cars around him were faster.
Sergio Perez also showed that the Red Bull car is still vastly superior to any others on the grid, never seriously facing a challenge from Sainz for the second spot.
There was plenty of speculation over the winter that with Red Bull embracing a new concept for their car and teams like Ferrari and McLaren showing vast improvement in the second half of the 2023 season, there would be a chance to at least challenge for wins. But with the first race of the season done, that doesn't look remotely realistic.