In an impressive display of skill and strategy, Max Verstappen kicked off his Formula 1 world championship defence with a win, leading a Red Bull one-two finish alongside Sergio Perez at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Verstappen, eyeing his fourth consecutive driver’s championship, maintained his lead over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc right from the starting line, quickly establishing a lead at the Bahrain International Circuit that would remain unchallenged throughout the race.
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Commanding the track from start to finish, Verstappen not only clinched victory by a significant margin of 22 seconds ahead of Perez, who had an outstanding ascent from fifth to second but also earned an additional point for recording the fastest lap of the race.
Carlos Sainz, set to be succeeded by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next season, showcased his prowess by securing the last spot on the podium, outshining his teammate Charles Leclerc. Leclerc faced brake issues, which saw him fall from his initial second-place start, but he managed to recover to fourth after overtaking Mercedes‘ George Russell in the closing stages.
Lando Norris defended his position against Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to finish sixth, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took eighth place. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finished in the top 10, marking a race where all 20 competitors crossed the finish line, demonstrating remarkable reliability across the board.
Verstappen’s victory in Bahrain extends his winning streak to eight races and reinforces the predictions of Red Bull’s continued dominance following a season where they won 21 out of 22 races. Despite this, the distinctive demands of the Sakhir circuit’s surface hint at potential competitiveness in the upcoming 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah street circuit, providing a glimmer of hope for Red Bull’s rivals.
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Result
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:31:44.742 |
| 2) Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +22.457 |
| 3) Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +25.110 |
| 4) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +39.669 |
| 5) George Russell | Mercedes | +46.788 |
| 6) Lando Norris | McLaren | +48.458 |
| 7) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +50.324 |
| 8) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +56.082 |
| 9) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1:14.887 |
| 10) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1:33.216 |
| 11) Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | +1 lap |
| 12) Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +1 lap |
| 13) Daniel Ricciardo | RB | +1 lap |
| 14) Yuki Tsunoda | RB | +1 lap |
| 15) Alex Albon | Williams | +1 lap |
| 16) Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +1 lap |
| 17) Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1 lap |
| 18) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1 lap |
| 19) Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | +1 lap |
| 20) Logan Sargeant | Williams | +2 laps |
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