Bahrain was yet again the stage for the season opener and where we get to see the true performance of the Oracle Red Bull Racing car in qualifying and race conditions.
The track in Bahrain is known for its temperature fluctuations so the team has to get the car set up just right, but also the the drivers need to be prepared from the start to overcome the track’s windy conditions.
Having claimed both the World Constructer’s and Driver’s Championships last season, as well as promising performance in pre-season testing, there were naturally high expectations on the team going into the weekend.
Discussing his first win of the year, driver Max Verstappen said: “This is exactly the start we wanted, a one-two finish. I’m incredibly proud that we have achieved this as a Team.
“I could see early on that we had the pace in the car, I was able to build a gap from the start and then just managed it for the rest of the race, it was a straightforward day for us. It also feels good to finally win in Bahrain, I haven’t had the best history here.
“Looking ahead to Jeddah, it’s a completely different track with different conditions, there’s a lot of long straights and fast corners, so it will give us a completely different picture of where everyone is on the grid but at least this was a very good start for us.”
The Race
As the lights went out for the first time in the 2023 Formula One season, Max got off to a good start and retained his lead. Inevitably, Checo was under pressure from the two trialing Ferraris and Leclerc snuck past going into turn one. Checo batted off overtake attempts from Sainz and settled in the P3.
By lap 14, Max was a full 7 seconds ahead of second-placed Leclerc, so Ferrari decided to pit early for hard tires. Max came in a lap later for a second set of softs, maintaining his lead at the front.
Checo pitted on lap 18, and like Max, took a second set of soft tires. Coming back out onto track in third place, the Mexican was a full 8 seconds clear of Sainz. He set out chasing down the Ferrari of Leclerc, and by lap 25 Checo was within a second.
Thanks to a strong exit out of the final corner on lap 26, Checo got his rear-wing open to glide past the Ferrari and put the Bulls one-two again. Further down the road, Max was putting in consistent lap times to extend his lead. Into the pits again, this time for hard compound tires, Max emerged over 11 seconds ahead of his teammate.
Further down the order, former World Champions in Alonso and Hamilton were battling for fifth. On lap 39, Alonso overtook Hamilton and began to chase down the two Ferraris ahead. An engine issue for Leclerc brought out the Virtual Safety Car, and although Sainz inherited third place, Alonso began taking chunks out of the gap to get within striking distance of his fellow Spaniard.
It was finally on lap 46 that Alonso caught Sainz to occupy the final podium place. However, it was a race known for the domination of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, amplified by Hugh Bird telling Checo “there’s no pressure from behind, just stroke it home”.
Talking through his podium finish, driver Sergio Perez said: “My start wasn’t ideal, Charles was a little too aggressive, pushed me to the right and I did my best to avoid him.
“Charles was very strong on that new tyre and it was difficult to get through him quickly enough. I think that’s where I lost out to Max, I was behind him by about 10 or 12 seconds and after that it was game over on catching Max, it was all about getting Charles. It was important to get by him, minimise the damage and get that P2 for the Team.
“There are a lot of improvements we can still make to try and make our car better, there is still plenty of work going on behind the scenes. On this tarmac we have been very strong but Bahrain is a very unique circuit and things will be closer at other circuits.”
Max finished 38.6 seconds clear of third-placed Alonso, which was “perfect start to 2023” and “a brilliantly executed race” according to the Dutchman.
Commenting on the team’s performance, Team Principal Christian Horner said:“What a race! Max certainly showed he has not lost any of his pace coming into the new season, grabbing pole and the victory with both hands.
“Checo had a bit of work to do with Charles, but he played it well and then from there it was about managing the race till the end. The pace was there, the reliability too, we also had a solid pit stop strategy.
“It’s great to have both the guys up there within a tenth, fighting over the fine margins. That pushes the Team forward and they certainly delivered. Comparing it to last year, when we finished with no points, is quite a contrast.
“However, its important to remember this is just race one, there’s a lot of racing still to do, but it is a great start, from the whole team. It was important for us to get on the board, get some good points in early and we have done that today. We look forward to see what Jeddah brings.”
After a brilliant first outing, Oracle Red Bull Racing now heads to Jeddah from 17 March for the second race of the year and will hope to replicate their domination in Bahrain.