The opening race of the 2024 Formula One season in Bahrain confirmed the worst fears of many fans: Max Verstappen and Red Bull are in a league of their own, and the championship could be over before it’s even begun.
Verstappen, the reigning world champion, had a phenomenal race weekend, taking pole position, setting the fastest lap and crossing the line more than 20 seconds clear of his teammate Sergio Perez. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz rounded out the podium, engaging in a thrilling battle with his teammate Charles Leclerc. The Monégasque driver, who struggled with tyre degradation and multiple lock-ups throughout the race, had to settle for fourth place after overtaking the forerunning Mercedes of George Russell in the closing stages.
Mercedes, despite their pre-season optimism, encountered challenges during the race. Both Russell and his teammate Lewis Hamilton reported battery issues, with the seven-time world champion also complaining of a broken seat. Hamilton ultimately finished seventh, behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, highlighting the work that still needs to be done by Mercedes to close the gap to the front-runners.
McLaren had a positive start to the season, with Oscar Piastri joining Norris in the top 10, securing eighth place. Aston Martin also had reason to celebrate, with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll scoring points, finishing ninth and tenth respectively; this was despite Stroll being involved in a Turn 1 incident that sent him to the back of the field.
The midfield battle proved to be as intense as ever, with Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu narrowly missing out on points in 11th, followed by the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and then the RB (Racing Bulls – formerly Alpha Tauri) pair of Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda. A late-race drama unfolded within the RB team when Tsunoda was asked to let Ricciardo pass, given the Australian’s alternate soft-tyre strategy. The Japanese driver protested over the radio to no avail, eventually adhering to the team’s instructions, though he did end up dive-bombing Ricciardo on the cooldown laps after the race.
The only comfort for Verstappen’s rivals is that Bahrain is a track that heavily favours good tyre wear, which is a major strength of the Red Bull car. It’s possible that at other circuits, where tyre management is less critical, the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes might be able to get close enough to snatch the odd win. However, based on Red Bull’s dominance in Bahrain, it would be a brave person who bets against Verstappen wrapping up his fourth straight title long before the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Off the track, Red Bull was also making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Christian Horner was embroiled in a controversy involving leaked messages between him and a colleague, while Max Verstappen’s father Jos publicly called for Horner to step down. It’s a sign of how dominant Red Bull is right now that even a civil war within the team isn’t enough to derail their on-track performance.
Looking ahead to the next races, it’s hard to see anyone stopping the Red Bull rocketship and Verstappen will be full of confidence after his crushing win in Bahrain, while Perez will be determined to prove that he can be more than just a wingman to his teammate.
For many fans, the worry is that 2024 could be a repeat of last year’s boring season, with Verstappen and Red Bull winning every weekend. But as the old saying goes, it’s a long season, and anything can happen in Formula One.
“2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Championship Heroics from Yas Marina Circuit” by Automotive Rhythms is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0