Max Verstappen won the opening round of the 2024 season with ease, giving early signs that Red Bull is in for another dominant season. Completing a Grand Slam, the Dutchman won with a margin of over 20 seconds. However, there might be even more to come, as Formula Passion reports Adrian Newey did not expect the RB20 to be as fast as it was. Detailing further, Newey revealed Red Bull was unhappy with the car during the practice sessions.
“I have to say that it was unexpected. We weren’t satisfied with the car and the gap we had in practice, but in the race, everything went right.”
Following the practice sessions, Red Bull did not seem like the strongest team of 2024. Their rivals, especially Ferrari and Mercedes, seemed to have made significant improvements to their cars, drumming up a scenario of close competition. Furthermore, the Qualifying session also saw Charles Leclerc put in a faster lap time in Q2 than Verstappen’s pole position lap in Q3. Thus, experts predicted a much closer race with the potential of a close fight for the top spot in Bahrain.
On paper, Ferrari was Red Bull’s closest competitor in Bahrain. However, the Prancing Horse barely came anywhere close to troubling them. Starting the race in P2, Leclerc soon ran into mechanical problems with his brakes. The issue allowed Sergio Perez and George Russell to pass through with ease.
However, Sainz had a relatively better race pace and was able to move past Russell in the race. Leclerc, too, found a way to deal with his braking issue and went ahead of Russell in Lap 47 of the race. Eventually, the Ferrari cars finished P3 and P4, making them the second-best team in Bahrain.
Red Bull and Max Verstappen looking to build on Bahrain dominance
As the season progresses, Red Bull will be hoping to build on their dominant display in Bahrain. With Max Verstappen at the helm, the Austrian team will be looking to run away with the title once again. However, their rivals don’t believe it will be as easy for them as it was in 2023. Heading to Jeddah, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur feels it will be a “totally different race.” The Frenchman claimed that the asphalt would be much smoother, and that would have a positive influence on tire degradation.
McLaren’s Lando Norris also feels the competition is getting tighter for Verstappen. Following a relatively closer Qualifying session, Norris believes Verstappen did not have an easy win in Bahrain. Hence, the Briton is in favor of Red Bull’s rivals closing in on their performance and fighting for race wins.
However, fans are still worried about what Verstappen’s dominant performance means for the 2024 season. They fear this season will be even more one-sided than last year, with Verstappen already securing a Grand Slam. Fans’ fears catch even more wind as Red Bull plans on bringing a major upgrade in Imola. Per various reports, the Austrian team wants to unlock more pace, and the upgrade package will allow them to achieve the same.
