Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing begin 2024 the same way they ended 2023 as the defending champion cruises to victory in the Grand Prix of Bahrain. Verstappen started on the pole for the F1 season opener and never looked back. The Red Bull Racing driver led all 57 laps with no one even remotely challenging for the lead by the end of lap one. He looks to be well on his way to successfully defending his title.
Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing teammate, Sergio Perez, finished second giving the team yet another 1-2 finish. Perez quickly climbed up to second and set a pace that was impossible for anyone else to catch in Bahrain. Of course, Perez looked downright slow compared to Verstappen who, at one point, held a near 30 second lead on the track. Red Bull Racing simply dominated the season opener.
Joining the Red Bull drivers on the podium was Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver made his way to third and stayed there the majority of the race. He will be one of the most interesting drivers to watch during the 2024 season. During the offseason, Ferrari announced seven-time F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton will take over the ride from Sainz in 2025. It’s unclear where Sainz will go, so it appears he was racing for a new ride. Starting the season with a podium finish is a good way to get on someone else’s radar for next season.
Grand Prix of Bahrain Top 10 Finishers
- Max Verstappen
- Sergio Perez
- Carlos Sainz
- Charles Leclerc
- George Russell
- Lando Norris
- Lewis Hamilton
- Oscar Piastri
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
Great Racing, Bad Competition
Formula One provides some of the best racing in the world, as long as you are looking in the middle of the pack. Drivers from Leclerc all the way back to 16th place finisher Nico Hulkenberg set up some amazing battles for position in the Grand Prix of Bahrain. The broadcast focused on these drivers most of the race, because there was nothing to see up front.
Formula One doesn’t have a racing problem, it has a competition problem. Verstappen led every lap, and no one was close. Sergio Perez put himself so far ahead of everyone else, there was never a debate about a 1-2 finish for Red Bull. It’s not a problem when one team hits the setup to be dominant at a race, but it is a problem when the same team does it week after week.
Red Bull Racing won 21 of 22 races in 2023, and Max Verstappen won 19 of those 21. Sergio Perez won the other two for Red Bull, while Carlos Sainz was the only driver from a different team to win. Verstappen has now won eight straight races as he won the final seven races of the 2023 season. Formula One needs other teams to step up because the series is not competitive.
This isn’t the first time one team has been dominant in F1’s history. It wasn’t that long ago where it seemed like Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes won every race. When I was a kid, Michael Schumacher seemed to dominate the series. Dominance can be good as it gives fans a villain to root against, but there has to be someone good enough to challenge the dominant car. Formula One doesn’t have that right now, and it could damage the brand if one doesn’t come along.
F2 & F3 Bahrain
The F1 drivers weren’t the only ones to hit the circuit in Bahrain. F2 and F3 both kicked off their seasons as well. Zane Maloney completed the double as he won both the Sprint race and Feature race in F2. Josep María Martí and Paul Aron joined Maloney on the podium.
Meanwhile, in F3, Luke Browning took first place in the Feature race, while Arvid Lindblad won the Sprint race. Christian Mansell and Tim Tramnitz joined Browning on the podium.
F2 Bahrain Top 5 Finishers
- Zane Maloney
- Josep María Martí
- Paul Aron
- Zak O’Sullivan
- Gabriel Bortoleto
F3 Bahrain Top 5 Finishers
- Luke Browning
- Christian Mansell
- Tim Tramnitz
- Sami Meguetounif
- Santiago Ramos
Next Up
Formula One stays in the Middle East next week as they head to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The F2 drivers will join the F1 drivers in Saudia Arabia. Meanwhile, the F3 drivers will take a few weeks off before heading to Melbourne, Australia in the middle of March.
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