Perhaps it’s time for Max Verstappen to turn up the difficulty setting on F1 2023, because Sunday (March 5) in the 2023 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, the two-time World Champion made it look easy.
Although the record books will show Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez both led laps at the Bahrain International Circuit, from lights to flag it was never in doubt for the Dutchman. It is the first time Verstappen has won the season opener, his first win in Bahrain and the 36th of his career.
“It was a very good first stint where I basically made my gap,” Verstappen told Sky Sports reporter and former Bahrain winner Nico Rosberg. “… From there it was all about just looking after the tires because you never really know what’s going to happen later in the race. So we just wanted to make sure that we had the right tires, in good condition as well. So, yeah of course very happy to finally also win here in Bahrain”
Turning a one-two start into a one-two finish for the Bulls, Perez had a clean, quiet race to follow Verstappen home on the second step of the podium. He was challenged on the start by Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, aided by an interesting strategy that gave him a fresh set of soft tires at the expense of a run at pole.
When Leclerc took hard tires at the first pit stop, Red Bull gave Perez a second set of softs. The grippier rubber allowed the Mexican pilot to run down the Monegasque and a late braking move in the fourth corner moved “Checo” back to second. Leclerc settled in to a distant third for much of the evening until the typical Ferrari heartbreak struck.
On lap 41, an issue in the internal combustion engine brought Leclerc’s Ferrari to a stop, bringing out a brief Virtual Safety Car and bringing 41-year-old Fernando Alonso into the podium conversation.
A shocking turn of form for Aston Martin Racing in preseason testing held up through the race weekend, with the team in green able to lead two of the three free practice sessions courtesy of its new star driver Alonso.
Starting down in fifth, the two-time World Champion did not get the start he wanted, losing a spot to Lewis Hamilton on the first lap and making slight contact with his Aston Martin teammate (and team owner’s son) Lance Stroll.
Dropping behind both Red Bulls, both Ferraris and both Mercedes, Alonso bided his time. There were questions ahead of the race about the Aston Martin’s…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …