Max Verstappen led from start to finish to win the first Formula One race of the season in Bahrain on Saturday night.
The current champion converted pole position into the race win with a controlled drive ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari rival Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen maintained his advantage as the encounter got underway and never looked back over the 57 laps that followed, ultimately crossing the line 22 seconds clear of Perez, who made up for his low-key qualifying effort to complete a Red Bull one-two.
Verstappen dominates the Bahrain Grand Prix
Sainz passed teammate Charles Leclerc, who struggled with tyre degradation and suffered multiple lock-ups en route to fourth, having cleared the lead Mercedes of George Russell late on.
‘Inevitable’ Max Verstappen takes first pole of the season
Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton encountered issues with their batteries across the race, with the seven-time world champion – who also reported a broken seat – having to settle for seventh position behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Verstappen said he was happy with the win after the race.
“It went even better than expected,” he said.
“The car was really nice to drive on every compound, we had a lot of pace and it was super enjoyable to drive.
“We stayed out of trouble and it is a great start to the year, it couldn’t have been better,” Verstappen.
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