- The Bahrain Grand Prix 2024 didn’t disappoint as it gave a powerful statement
- The stakes were high for each of the 10 Formula 1 teams
- Red Bull’s strategic brilliance shone all through while Ferrari sent a bold statement
The Bahrain Grand Prix 2024 didn’t disappoint as it gave a powerful statement of what to expect throughout the season. As a season opener, the stakes were high for each of the 10 Formula 1 teams and you can tell this will be an eventful season.
Once again, Red Bull’s strategic brilliance shone all through while Ferrari sent a bold statement on what rival teams should expect. This will be a season of rewriting history in F1.
WHAT HAPPENED AT BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2024?
Here are the takeaways from Saturday’s debut race at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2024.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull Won
Dutch driver Max Verstappen took the first pole position for Red Bull in Bahrain this season. The three-time F1 World Champion got off to a strong start to the campaign.
Verstappen also secured the fastest lap bonus point at the Bahrain International Circuit, ensuring that Red Bull would collect all the points from the first round of Formula One in 2024. Meanwhile, fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez fought his way from P5 on the grid to a P2 finish, confirming a Red Bull one-two.
Bahrain Grand Prix 2024. Photo/F1 Chronicle
Perez, a three-time world champion, maintained his complete dominance in Bahrain, although in a freshly constructed vehicle. He picked as many points as possible in the drivers’ championship by also setting the fastest lap.
Verstappen said the season went so well more than he imagined.
“Unbelievable, I think today went even better than expected. I think we had a lot of pace and it was just super enjoyable to drive today. We stayed out of trouble and it’s a great start of the year, it couldn’t have been better,” he told Sky Sports.
“It was a lot of fun and I felt really good in the car. It’s always very special to have these kind of days because they don’t happen that often where it all goes perfect and you are at one with the car,” he added.
Carlos Sainz Finished Third for Ferrari
Sainz finished third in Bahrain thanks to a fan-voted Driver of the Day performance. He twice passed teammate Charles Leclerc en route to that finish, and he acknowledged it was nice to be back racing in a way he enjoys.
Sainz clarified that his tactics frequently focused on controlling his periods and having to defend his position after qualifying. Ferrari in 2023 proved to be hard on its tyres. With Lewis Hamilton expected to join Ferrari in 2025, Sainz’s departure from the team was announced, and he provided a timely reminder of his abilities on Saturday in the opening race.
Carlos Sainz. Photo/Planet F1
After finishing on the podium on Saturday behind Verstappen and Perez, Sainz disclosed that he wasn’t at ease challenging other cars because of tyre life until the middle of the previous season.
“Yeah, it’s actually a bit of a relief because I remember last year, the last race where I was attacking was Austria – and we’re talking about 13, 14 races ago. Then the rest of the races last year, you just had to manage, you just had to look in the mirrors, you just had to control your pace, and there were very little opportunities to go and overtake people,” he said after the race.
Lewis Hamilton Finishes 7th
In a difficult start to the F1 2024 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix saw battery issues for both Hamilton and George Russell in the Mercedes W15s. Russell seemed ready to contend for the podium from P3, while Hamilton had a lot of work ahead of him from P9 on the grid. Mercedes had prepared their W15s for the race.
But as battery problems developed, it became a tale of poorly managed rivals for both Mercedes drivers; additionally, Hamilton experienced hot brakes and a damaged seat. In the end, Hamilton crossed both Russell P5 and P7.
“For a while my battery was dead, so down the straights I was just de-rating the whole way down the straights, so I lost a lot of ground to the McLarens,” Hamilton told the press after the interview.
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