Verstappen demonstrated what was widely anticipated, confirming that he and his RB20 will be formidable competitors for the second consecutive Formula 1 season. He began his title defense campaign at the Sakhir Circuit with a dominant victory, exactly as everyone expected.
In fact, Verstappen, who emerged victorious in Bahrain in 2023, managed to replicate his triumph this year, completing the race in a shorter time than the previous year (two minutes faster). This impressive display of dominance is rarely seen in the sport, as the driver and the machine merged into one.
During the qualifying session, the RB20, with Verstappen at the helm, proved to be incredibly fast, outperforming Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari by over two tenths of a second. Even during the race, the combination of Red Bull Racing proved to be efficient and quick, with the RB20 being gentle on its tires.
Verstappen chose to start the race on used soft tires and was the last driver among the top ten to switch to a new set of hard tires. Alongside his teammate Sergio Perez, he was one of only two drivers who opted to use soft tires in their final stint, while the others chose the hard ones.
In the Red Bull race report, Verstappen shared his thoughts on the race, stating: “Today was special. These kinds of days are rare, where the car feels perfect, including its balance and overall feeling. Everything went very well.” He also mentioned that the start of the race was good and that they took very good care of the car throughout the race. Verstappen was able to find a good rhythm and speed on the track, and the windy conditions helped him extract even more from the car.
Looking ahead to the next race, Verstappen acknowledged that Jeddah is a different challenge, with its high-speed corners and less tire degradation. However, he expressed confidence in bringing the same level of performance to the next race. Verstappen thanked everyone at the factory for their contributions to a successful start of the season, recognizing the difficulty of building a new car after an incredible previous season.
Verstappen and Red Bull downplayed their form since the pre-season tests, intentionally keeping their true pace hidden until qualifying. The three-time F1 champion repeatedly emphasized that winning would not be easy due to the competitiveness of the grid. Although the grid was indeed balanced, Verstappen and his RB20 #1 finished the race over 20 seconds ahead of the other Red Bull car, driven by Sergio Perez, securing the team’s second consecutive one-two finish in Bahrain.
There is no reason to anticipate a different outcome in Jeddah.
