Max Verstappen secured a dominant victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with teammate Sergio Perez coming in second.
Verstappen led the race from start to finish, setting the fastest lap and achieving his fifth career grand slam. His impressive 22.457-second lead over the competition equated to a 0.39-second advantage per lap.
Reflecting on his performance, Verstappen said, “Unbelievable. I think today went even better than expected. We had a lot of pace, and it was super enjoyable to drive. It’s a great start to the year.”
Sergio Perez made strong progress from fifth on the grid, overtaking several competitors to secure his best result since last September’s Italian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz completed the podium, taking advantage of issues faced by Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Leclerc struggled with brake temperature imbalance, while Russell faced overheating in his Mercedes.
Lando Norris held off Lewis Hamilton to secure sixth place, with Oscar Piastri finishing in eighth after being undercut by Hamilton during the pit stops.
The race saw Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll make impressive recoveries, finishing in ninth and tenth place respectively.
Further down the field, Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and Kevin Magnussen had a close battle for positions, with Ricciardo ultimately finishing ahead.
Alex Albon crossed the finish line ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who had early race drama that compromised his performance.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly had a disappointing race, finishing in 17th and 18th place respectively.
Valtteri Bottas experienced a setback during his second pit stop, costing him valuable time and relegating him to the lower midfield positions.
Logan Sargeant faced steering wheel issues early on, leading to an unplanned pit stop and ultimately finishing two laps down in a lonely race at the back of the pack.
