Honda's risk turns out well: 'That's now the best engine in Formula 1'

Ultimate step by Honda

Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton fought out a tremendous duel on Sunday at the Bahrain GP, with Hamilton ultimately winning. On Saturday, Verstappen was the fastest in qualifying, but he gets no points for it. Still, the two-time world champion sees positive points for Red Bull Racing.

''Max's pole lap on Saturday was just perfect. It shows how much confidence he has in his car, and the gap of almost four tenths on Lewis was impressive. Honda's decision to build a new car for their final Formula One season took a lot of courage. With a new engine also often comes reliability issues, but not this time. If you look at the qualifying and the race of Red Bull and AlphaTauri, Honda has the best engine now'', said Hakkinen in his column for Unibet.com.

Perez and Bottas essential

That Verstappen and Hamilton will fight for the world title became clear in Bahrain, but a more important role is perhaps reserved for their teammates. Where Valtteri Bottas helped his team strategically by driving at the front, Perez will need to find that connection.

''They are going to play a very important role in this championship. They both have a competitive car, and so they are crucial in the fight for the constructors' title. That's why the podium and fastest lap were so important for Bottas, while Sergio did a great job by still finishing fifth from the start from the pits'', concluded the Finn.