Max Verstappen returned to form and secured his first victory of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, driving the Red Bull with the kind of edge that signals a strong title bid. The season opener hinted at a defining year as the Dutchman seized control early and kept it with clinical consistency. A notable storyline emerged from the start: Aston Martin appeared to be stepping forward, presenting a serious challenge and hinting at a reversal of fortunes for the team that has battled for pace in recent campaigns. Fernando Alonso, finally with a car that could truly compete at the front, claimed a podium finish for the 99th time in his Formula 1 career, after a bold drive to third place that kept him in the hunt from lights to flag. He overtook rivals including Hamilton and Russell, leaving Carlos Sainz in fourth as Ferrari faced a rough afternoon with reliability issues that cut Leclerc out of contention.
Alonso-Mercedes pulse
From the start, Verstappen used pole position to assert early control, blasting off the line to create a buffer and blunt the moment for Ferrari as Leclerc and Sainz exited the first corners behind. Sainz, in particular, couldn’t match the Mexican’s early speed, while Leclerc struggled to bridge the gap without compromising his own race plan. Alonso, maneuvering with poise, passed two Mercedes on a tight arc and moved into a strong position behind Hamilton and Russell after a light collision involving Stroll. Bottas managed a notable climb, moving four places forward to eighth as the field settled in.
As the early laps unfolded, the pace on the softer tire compound became a telling factor. Leclerc managed to escape Sainz and briefly threaten the position of the leaders, while Hamilton and Russell endured tire wear that began to bite after about ten laps. Russell signaled his intent with a request for clean passage, yet the Briton faced stubborn defense before daylight opened for Alonso, who pressed his case and pushed the Mercs hard.
Hamilton pitted on lap 13, triggering a double Ferrari stop that briefly shuffled the order. Verstappen extended his advantage with a decisive move and a quick return to the track after a pit sequence, reasserting control as the field hit the 15-lap mark and began to settle into longer stints on the softer compound.
Red Bull on another level
From there, Verstappen stamped his authority, opening a lead that hovered around ten seconds as Leclerc chased from behind with Perez in close pursuit on a three-car bubble of competition. Sainz tried to bridge the gap to the leaders and to distance himself from Hamilton and Alonso, while McLaren faced a disappointing day as rookie Oscar Piastri retired early and Lando Norris slipped to the rear. RB19 looked imposing, already carrying the aura that had defined their preseason pace— Verstappen and Perez had topped the timesheets in qualifying and carried that momentum into the race. Leclerc faced a moment of decisive pressure around lap 30, and the Ferrari team watched as the pace he displayed faltered in the late stages.
With thirty laps remaining, Leclerc looked set to challenge, but the gap to Verstappen remained stubbornly out of reach as the Dutchman controlled the field. Lance Stroll, recovering from surgery for a broken ankle, showed remarkable grit across the long Bahrain stint, contributing to a demanding alliance with Alonso in the Aston Martin lineup. The AMR23 appeared to be progressing toward genuine front-running status, signaling a shift that could complicate Mercedes’ and Ferrari’s attempts to reclaim supremacy in the sport. The Alonso-Hamilton duel returned to the brink, delivering drama and a reminder of the underlying talent in both drivers.
Leclerc, KO
The race reached its pivotal phase as Red Bull stretched its advantage, while Leclerc’s car faltered with a reliability failure that struck at a critical moment. The SF-23’s troubles—unseen during testing—materialized after 41 laps, removing the Monegasque driver from the fight and leaving Ferrari facing a candid assessment of its performance under pressure. Sainz stayed in touch and managed to climb onto the podium positions, but the day was not kind to the Spanish driver who had hoped for a stronger haul of points in support of the team. Alonso, meanwhile, continued to climb, overtaking Hamilton to secure a plausible fourth position behind the leaders, and Ferrari pressed the Spaniard to push to a higher result. He warned about tire wear and defended against the pit-wall’s call to chase more aggressive gains at the expense of tire life. With eleven laps remaining, Alonso pressed his case for a podium, leaving the crowd to imagine what might have been had Aston Martin maintained better pace earlier in the race. The result was a compelling glimpse of a changing order, emblematic of a season that could feature more variability and more dramatic battles than in recent years.
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