March 02, (THEWILL) – Reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, made a dominant start to his 2024 title defence, taking a comfortable Bahrain Grand Prix win by over 22 seconds from pole position on Saturday. The Red Bull driver led every lap and also set the fastest time, sending an early warning to rivals after the team’s fourth consecutive one-two finish.
Behind Verstappen, teammate Sergio Perez took second place to make it a Red Bull lockout of the podium. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completed the top three, with teammate Charles Leclerc having to settle for fourth. The win marked Red Bull’s 114th since entering Formula One 20 years ago, drawing them level with former world champions Williams in the all-time lists.
With his 55th career victory, Verstappen has now led the championship for 40 straight races going back to May 2022, when he started his run to a third world title. The Dutchman’s eighth consecutive win matched his blistering form in the second half of last season, when he ended 2023 with 19 wins from 22 races entered.
Verstappen was delighted with his car’s early season pace, saying over the team radio: “That was simply lovely, what a great race, great start to the year guys.” His margin of victory over 22 seconds proved he could be even more dominant this campaign.
Behind the leading two teams, Mercedes’ George Russell finished fifth, with McLaren’s Lando Norris in sixth. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton started ninth for Mercedes and ended up seventh, while Oscar Piastri secured eighth in his McLaren debut.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
