The 2024 F1 season officially kicked off with yet another Max Verstappen win. The Red Bull driver clinched his 55th F1 win at the Bahrain International Circuit earlier today, which made it 8 wins on the trot for the three-time world champion. McLaren’s Lando Norris on the other hand drove a solid race for his team, finishing in 6th – 48 seconds behind the RB20 of Verstappen. Despite this margin of defeat, Norris was optimistic about the season to come as he tagged Bahrain as an outlier.
Norris was quoted on X saying, “I think everyone is closer. I don’t think it was as easy for Max.”
This came off the back of a pretty tight qualifying session that saw a closer field than we’ve seen in the past. The race pace of the RB2o was supreme but Norris believes the track to be an outlier and expects the Red Bull’s wings trimmed in the upcoming races.
During last year’s Bahrain GP, Verstappen took the chequered flag in P1 with a 10-second advantage over his teammate, Perez. This time around, while the Bulls recreated a 1-2, Verstappen was more than 20 seconds ahead. What’s more, he executed a perfect Grand Slam weekend with the pole, a race win, and the fastest lap.
On paper, Verstappen didn’t struggle as much as Norris suggested. However, the upcoming races will give a better idea as to where they really stand.
Is Max Verstappen ready to repeat his 2023 dominance?
Leading up to the Bahrain GP, Verstappen and Red Bull seemed to be chasing performance, and there were apparent signs of weakness. However, in Q3, when it mattered, Verstappen put the RB20 on pole. The single lap pace of the car might be a bit compromised, as evidenced by Red Bull’s pace in qualifying. However, in the long-run, they looked just as fast and dominant as they did in 2023.
After thwarting Leclerc’s turn 1 move, the Dutchman cruised to a win on a comfortable 2-stop strategy. That being said, the ambient temperatures in Bahrain might’ve helped the Red Bull package.
The Saudi Arabian GP, next week, might be a litmus test for the team as the conditions are going to be vastly different.
