Verstappen kicks off quest for three-peat with dominant victory in Bahrain; Perez P2 in ominously good start for Red Bull; Alonso nabs P3 podium on debut for improved Aston; Leclerc DNFs as Sainz settles for P4 for Ferrari

If, coming into the 2023 season, the nine other Formula 1 teams thought they had closed the gap to the sheer dominance of the Red Bull in reigning champion Max Verstappen’s hands, the first race of the year rapidly disabused them of that false confidence. The Dutch Master was back to his old tricks, picking up where he left off in 2022 in Abu Dhabi to give a master class in Round 1 this year at the Sakhir Circuit in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen drove away from pole towards an imperious victory on this 57-lap season-opener and it was clear easy that no other car could challenge his Red Bull. That included the sister Red Bull of his teammate, Sergio Perez, who finished P2 in the same equipment and running the same tire strategy. Perez came home nearly 12-seconds in arrears of his peerless two-time World Champion teammate, the Dutchman clearly proclaiming this intentions to make it three titles on the trot by the time this year’s 23 rounds are over.

But Verstappen’s absolute dominance was not even the biggest story of the day. While a Red Bull one-two to start the season had never been done before and so was notable, it was the sublime drive of veteran Fernando Alonso in the massively improved Aston Martin that mad the biggest splash in the desert of Bahrain. Driving his first race in anger for his new team, the 41-year-old Alonso showed all of his brilliance and decades of experience in a Formula 1 car to not only best the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in close combat but also the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz en route to a frankly astonishing P3 podium finish. This year’s Aston Martin has genuine pace and major aero upgrades over last year’s inconsistent chassis and Alonso put all of that to fine use when the team decided on a second stop over-cut strategy on Lap 34 against both Hamilton and Sainz, who had pitted on Lap 30 and 31 receptively. That forced the Spanish two-time World Champ to then have to pass both cars on the circuit, having given up track position to them by running a few laps longer. But Alonso warmed to his task with alacrity, getting by the Silver Arrow of Hamilton on Lap 38 after the English seven-time champion’s valiant pass-back on the previous lap, and then making relatively quick work of Sainz’s Prancing Horse on Lap 36 to grab P3, which is where he finished to the pure joy of his team at grabbing a podium so quickly in 2023. With Sainz finishing P4 and Hamilton in P5, the newfound pure pace of the Aston has got to now be a worry for both those ostensibly “superior” teams.

Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll also deserves special mention. Though he finished in P6, that was an excellent result for the young Canadian, who raced the demanding 57-laps with fractures in his wrist and toe after a pre-testing mountain bike accident. It was a determined and gutty effort by Stroll and it should only be up from here from him, as he continues to heal. No doubt he made his team owner and father Lawrence very proud, as well.

If Ferrari were chagrined at having Sainz bested by Alonso for the last podium position they were probably apoplectic at the fate of their ostensible team leader, Charles Leclerc. Expected to give Verstappen a stiff challenge for the title in 2023, the Monegasque’s SF-23 was clearly not as fast as the Red Bull RB19, though Leclerc was able to nab P2 from Perez on the opening lap due to starting on the Soft Pirelli tire compound vs. Perez’s Hards. While Leclerc conceded that second place back to Perez after the first round of pit stops, Leclerc was comfortably ahead of his teammate in P3 when his engine let go on Lap 41 and he had to retire the car. It was bit of a double whammy for Ferrari, as well, since the Scuderia had already changed a power store unit pre-race and if Leclerc’s engine is also toast that will be another limited use component on the road to the dreaded grid spot penalties for the various pivotal engine parts replacements. Not the start Ferrari was hoping for as they seek to inch closer to Red Bull.

While the number two Merc of George Russell finished in the points in P7, it was also not a day to remember for the young Briton. Russell struggled with his tire management and was clearly second best to Hamilton in Bahrain, not to mention the Stroll in P6. On the other hand, the final three of the Top 10 did yeoman’s work and exceeded expectations en route to valuable midfield points. Valtteri Bottas drove a typically canny and perhaps atypically aggressive race to maximize the performance for his Alfa Romeo while making a passel of late race passes and the team used a well-played undercut pit strategy to bring the veteran Finn home in P8. Pierre Gasly was even more impressive on debut with new team Alpine, starting from dead last on the grid after a dismal qualifying to finish a rather amazing P9. If it hadn’t been for Alonso’s heroics at Sakhir, Gasly certainly would have been driver of the day. The Williams of Alex Albon took the last point in P10 with a solid effort, while rookie teammate Logan Sargeant was P12. It was an encouraging start for what looks like a much improved Williams team and a nice F1 debut effort for the young American Sergeant, the first Yank in the series since Scott Speed way back in 2007.

Top 10 finishers of the Bahrain GP:

Complete race results available via Formula1.com.

The next race is in a fortnight — the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Can Alonso keep his mojo going? Do Ferrari and Mercedes have anything for Verstappen and Red Bull in Round 2? Look forward to seeing you then to find out!