New year, same Verstappen as Red Bull complete one-two finish in Bahrain

Max Verstappen had not much to worry about in the inaugural race of the 2024 season. The defending world champion won the race comfortably ahead of his teammate, Sergio Perez, and also earned an additional point for the fastest lap of the race.

Carlos Sainz completed some good overtakes to claim the final step of the podium. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished in P4 after he had a complicated Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver had troubles with his brakes and often made mistakes in Turn 10.

The rest of the points-paying positions went to the teams with a Mercedes engine in their cars. George Russell finished fifth after he initially had good battles, Lando Norris finished in P7 ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri.

Fernando Alonso finished in ninth position ahead of Lance Stroll, who was spun by Nico Hulkenberg after the race started. The Canadian did well to recover this evening in Bahrain.

Logan Sargeant’s engine stopped for a brief moment, but there were no retirements.

As it happened

It was a unanimous decision by the paddock to begin the race on a set of soft tyres. Max Verstappen got off to a great start, unlike Russell, who had to defend his position against Sergio Perez.

It was not an incident-free beginning of the season, Nico Hulkenberg made contact with Lance Stroll in the traffic jam entering Turn 1. While Stroll could come back to the end of the pack, one of the biggest surprises of Saturday, Hulkenberg had come into the pit lane and changed his front wing.

In the opening laps, Russell, after his initial poor start, overtook Leclerc around the outside in Turn 4. By Lap 7, Perez also overtook the struggling Monegasque driver, who kept on making mistakes in the difficult Turn 10. Four laps later, Carlos Sainz also went past his teammate.

Afterwards, Logan Sargeant had a short nightmare, as his engine stopped as he was on his way to take Turn 4. The American had to restart his car, but only yellow flags were waved as he completed this procedure on his steering wheel.

The first pit stops at the front happened on Lap 12, as Russell and Leclerc were told to switch for the hard tyres. Because of Verstappen’s gap at the front, Red Bull reacted with Perez to avoid Leclerc undercutting the Mexican. On the same lap as Perez, Piastri, and Hamilton also opted for the hard, while Norris waited a lap longer.

As Sergio Perez overtook Russell with a great switchback manoeuvre in Turn 4, Sainz also completed his first pit stop. The Spaniard returned to the track behind Leclerc, but without a contract with the team, he was able to risk more and on Lap 17, he divebombed his teammate into Turn 1. As Verstappen pitted on Lap 18 and easily returned on track in P1, Sainz continued to fight his way through and overtook Russell too, this time, into Turn 4.

While Valtteri Bottas’ front left tyre struggled to come off during his second pit stop, Russell was also told to fit another set of hard tyres on Lap 32. Hamilton swapped tyres two laps later, together with Lando Norris. The seven-time world champion was able to undercut Piastri, who also made a mistake exiting the pit lane.

Everyone at the front eventually made his stop and fitted a new set of hards, except for the two Red Bulls, who opted for softs.

On Lap 46, Russell made the same mistake as Leclerc did multiple times earlier this Grand Prix in Turn 10. The Monegasque driver this time was able to take the corner as it should be, and overtook the Briton to claim P4.