The Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who aspires to capture a third title in a row, became the first leader of the Formula 1 World Championship by winning this Sunday, with enormous authority, the Bahrain Grand Prix, at the Sakhir circuit; where he prevailed ahead of his partner, the Mexican Sergio Pérez and the Spanish Fernando Alonso; who, at 41, returned to the podium in his first race with Aston Martin.
‘Mad Max’ and Red Bull, who defend titles, started the season as they finished the previous one: with enormous authority. But it was the double world champion from Asturias, the oldest driver on the grid, who is facing his twentieth season in the premier class, who once again became the center of attention. Alonso did not miss his first opportunity with the car that has made the most progress between campaigns and signed his 99th podium in F1, one year and almost four months after the previous one: the one he had achieved in November 2021 by finishing third in the Qatar Grand Prix .
Verstappen, 25, signed his thirty-sixth victory in F1 and led a new double for the Austrian team along with Checo, 33, who saw his career compromised with a poor start, but who knows he is facing an exciting season again and, for the moment, he celebrated his twenty-seventh podium in the division of honor. A ‘drawer’ that he achieved after relegating the other Spaniard to fourth place, Carlos Sainz, whose Ferrari partner, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, retired with fifteen laps to go, running out of power when he was running third.
Alonso had surprised in the pre-season tests and continued to encourage his fans to trust in high goals by setting the best time in training on Friday. He confirmed that the Aston Martin is a good car with fifth on the grid which he achieved on Saturday; and this Sunday he once again showed that he is a true master when it comes to optimizing resources.
With brilliant overtaking on the track to the two Englishmen from Mercedes –George Russell and the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton– and to his compatriot Sainz, the last obstacle on his way to the podium –the third he has climbed in eight years–, the great driver Asturiano reconfirmed what some still find it difficult to assimilate: that he is, indisputably, one of the great figures in the entire history of Spanish sport.
Just twenty-two years after his debut –at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix–, almost twenty after his first victory –Hungary 2003– and almost ten after his last one –Spain 2013– Fernando –absent two seasons, in which who won, among others, the World Endurance Championship and (twice) the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Toyota – showed that he lives a second youth.
Accustomed to success, the Red Bulls celebrated; but the most exultant at Sakhir – where he scored three of his 32 victories – was, by far, Alonso.
The race
Verstappen, who had signed his twenty-second ‘pole’ in F1 on Saturday, started with ‘Checo’ by his side, in a front row of Red Bull, who started ahead of the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz. Alonso, who had questioned the ‘status quo’ inherited from last year in both the pre-season tests and the free practice sessions and, finally, in qualifying, came out fifth. He ahead of Russell’s Mercedes – next to him in the third row – and Lewis Hamilton; and with his new teammate, the Canadian Lance Stroll – absent during the preseason, but recovered from the injury that occurred while training on a bicycle – in eighth place on the grid.
All except the Danish Kevin Magnussen (Haas) – who did it on hard, from seventeenth place – faced the first of the 23 races of the contest with soft compound tyres. In a race in which, as was to be expected, on a track located in the desert and at night time, tire management was going to be key.
Verstappen came out very well; Leclerc overtook ‘Checo’, Carlos kept fourth place and the two Mercedes overtook Alonso – who was touched by Stroll in the fourth of the 15 Sakhir curves – with Hamilton ahead of Russell. Positions that were maintained, with the Dutchman opening the gap, after the first ten of the 57 laps that took place on the circuit on the outskirts of Manama, the capital of the Arabian archipelago.
The Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who started last with his Alpine and finished ninth, was the first to stop, to put the hard compound after the tenth lap, two before Hamilton stopped (also hard) and, one after, Alonso he won his first battle against Russell; to regain fifth place from him.
The two Ferraris stopped in 14 and Alonso stopped in 15 and, like the previous ones, he installed hard compound; It seemed to degrade less than anticipated. The Spaniard returned to the track ahead of Russell, but behind Finn Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), whom he passed without any problems on 17, before Pérez repeated the soft compound and returned to third, behind ‘Mad Max’ ‘ and from Leclerc; and ahead of Hamilton.
‘Checo’ overtook Leclerc at the beginning of round 26 and two later, after halfway through the race, Verstappen led with 14 seconds over the Mexican; with the third Monegasque, 17; and Sainz, away from the podium, almost half a minute away.
Hamilton stopped at 30 to repeat hard and protect himself from a hypothetical undercut attempt by Alonso. Sainz did it in 32 – in which Stroll passed Russell, showing that Aston Martin fights for everything; two before Leclerc. Alonso came to circulate third, behind the Red Bull, before going into garages for the hard compound to cook an attack on Hamilton. ‘Checo’ stopped at 35; one before Verstappen. And from there, both rode without problems to the finish line to celebrate the first Red Bull double of the season.
Alonso and Hamilton, the two veterans of the grid, reminisced about old times. Fernando attacked, Lewis defended himself and finally at turn 10 on lap 39 the brilliant Asturian driver taught the spectacular and eccentric Stevenage champion a lesson, who sold fifth place dearly.
A place that he ended up recovering, because Leclerc ran out of power in lap 41 and did not finish a test in which Alonso’s new team celebrated a great day, with Stroll in sixth place, who finished ahead of Russell. This Sunday, in Bahrain, the best car with a Mercedes engine was an Aston Martin
Sainz rose momentarily to third place, but Alonso, who was in fourth, also wanted it. Both Red Bulls had ‘free stop’ and used it; and from behind a merciless fight for the podium opened. The new ‘capo’ of Aston Martin got rid of his Madrid friend just before the eleventh corner with fourteen laps to go and ended up celebrating a glorious day. In which it was shown that Spanish is a very important language in F1: the one spoken by the three drivers who finished this Sunday behind the ‘super-predator’ Verstappen.
