Verstappen storms to dominant Bahrain victory in Red Bull 1-2

World champion Max Verstappen picked up where he left off last season, cruising to a comfortable victory in the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix season opener.

The Red Bull driver led team-mate Sergio Perez home in an emphatic 1-2 finish.

Verstappen secured pole position and quickly established himself in the lead from the start.

An early challenge from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc going into Turn 1 was rebuffed, and the Dutchman pulled away rapidly in the opening laps.

Red Bull’s strong race pace on the soft and hard tyre compounds allowed Verstappen and Perez to utilize a two-stop strategy effectively.

The champions never looked threatened, with Perez fending off a late charge from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to seal a Red Bull 1-2.

A crucial battle between Perez and Mercedes’ George Russell in the first stint proved pivotal.

Perez swept past Russell with a brave move into Turn 4 on Lap 14 to grab second.

This allowed Verstappen to build a comfortable gap at the front while Perez managed the chasing pack.

Russell subsequently slipped down the order, struggling with suspected powertrain issues.

While most teams opted for a soft-hard-hard tyre strategy, Red Bull differentiated themselves by saving an extra set of softs for qualifying.

This allowed them to push harder in the final stint on the faster rubber.

Mercedes seemed to struggle more than expected, with porpoising issues resurfacing and possible engine concerns hampering race pace.

Verstappen produced another trademark lights-to-flag domination, never looking threatened en route to the win.

Sainz’s recovery drive from fifth to third was mighty impressive, making decisive overtakes early on.

Leclerc bounced back from front locking issues to take fourth and Ricciardo battled his way to 13th in an encouraging start for rookie team-mate Oscar Piastri in 8th.

With rivals Mercedes and Ferrari still yet to unlock their full potential, the dominant Red Bull performance sends an early warning that they remain the team to beat this season.

Verstappen’s supreme victory shows that wresting the title away from him will require something special.

The next round in Saudi Arabia in two weeks’ time now takes on added significance. Can Mercedes and Ferrari respond?

2024 Bahrain Grand Prix Results