Max Verstappen kicked off the 2024 Formula 1 championship in dominant fashion, securing a comfortable victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion achieved a remarkable feat by clinching pole position, leading the race from start to finish, and setting the fastest lap, earning a perfect 26 points to commence his 2024 campaign.
His Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez secured second place, trailing over 20 seconds behind, while Carlos Sainz Jnr claimed the third spot, just a couple of seconds further behind Perez.
All 20 drivers opted to start the race on the soft compound tires. Verstappen maintained his lead from the outset and steadily extended his advantage in the early laps. George Russell overtook Charles Leclerc for second place, and later, Perez advanced past Leclerc to secure third.
Verstappen made his first pit stop for hard tires later than any other driver, rejoining the race five seconds ahead of Perez, who had overtaken Russell after their respective pit stops. By lap 24, Verstappen had doubled his lead over Perez to a commanding 10 seconds.
During the second round of pit stops between laps 30 and 40, Verstappen and Perez both opted for fresh soft tires. Verstappen promptly set the fastest lap, and the Red Bull duo controlled their pace to secure a comfortable one-two finish.
Sainz claimed the final spot on the podium, finishing 25 seconds behind the winner, while Leclerc, grappling with a braking imbalance, settled for fourth place.
Russell crossed the line in fifth, followed by Lando Norris in sixth, Lewis Hamilton in seventh, and Oscar Piastri in eighth. The Aston Martin drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, rounded off the top ten and secured the last points-paying positions.
Despite a brief issue with his steering wheel causing a momentary stoppage early in the race, all 20 drivers managed to finish the event, with Logan Sargeant of Williams rejoining the action after resolving the problem.
