Max Verstappen threw the gauntlet ahead of the 2024 Bahrain GP, to which rivals did not have any answer. The Red Bull star came out on top once again at the Bahrain International Circuit, taking home his 55th GP win as he inched closer to Lewis Hamilton in a prestigious list.
The three-time world champion was dominant throughout the race weekend. Keeping aside the FP sessions where he tried out different setups with his RB20, the Dutchman was a class apart from the rest. Verstappen started from P1 and got the fastest lap on his way to winning the race- a perfect Grand Slam weekend.
It isn’t easy achieving a Grand Slam weekend. A driver needs to be at his dominant best to do it once, let alone multiple times, like Verstappen has. With his recent performance in Bahrain, he joined Alberto Ascari and Michael Schumacher as drivers with five Grand Slams each, according to Autosport.
Notably, the Dutchman is still one Grand Slam weekend away from matching Hamilton’s record of six and three away from Jim Clark. Clark has the highest number of Grand Slams [8] to his name. Considering the way he is performing, it won’t be a surprise if Verstappen catches Hamilton next weekend in Jeddah, and Clark later on this season.
Red Bull and Max Verstappen consistent with dominance
Red Bull finished the 2023 season with 21 wins out of 22 races and a massive 860 point haul. Many wondered if this domination would continue into the 2024 campaign or not, and the early signs seem to be in Red Bull’s favor.
The first race in Bahrain saw no change in who was the fastest. Red Bull took home a 1-2 finish, and Max Verstappen never seemed to be under threat- a common theme from 2022.
Adrian Newey’s mega innovation on the sidepod and air inlets crafted the RB20 like a rocketship and rivals had no answer to it in Bahrain. As a result, Max Verstappen finished the race with a 22 seconds gap to Perez, while the Mexican driver improved from P5 to finish in P2, passing Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz and George Russell.
Teams are wary of another year of dominance from the Bulls. However, they are more optimistic than they were before, with figures like Fred Vasseur and Lando Norris insisting the Milton-Keynes-based outfit is beatable.
