Max Verstappen and Red Bull have dominated the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season, just as they have been doing since mid-2022. Verstappen’s performance in the Bahrain Grand Prix was so impressive that he could have been the sole winner in our usual post-race analysis. However, there were a number of disappointments in the race, indicating that Red Bull’s domination is not without its challenges. Despite the competition, Verstappen seemed to have even more control over the race than before, demonstrating that he continues to improve. Carlos Sainz also deserves recognition for his strong performance, finishing in third place and keeping Sergio Perez in his sights. Sainz’s performance serves as a reminder that Ferrari is losing a talented driver to make room for Lewis Hamilton. Lance Stroll faced some setbacks in the race but managed to recover and finish with a point, showing his resilience. Mercedes, on the other hand, had a disappointing race, with both drivers finishing outside the top positions. McLaren’s performance was also below expectations, with Lando Norris finishing behind a Mercedes and benefiting from cooling issues. Fernando Alonso expressed his lack of surprise with his ninth place, as Aston Martin is currently not performing well. Red Bull’s second team, RB, also had a difficult race, with Yuki Tsunoda falling behind and a confusing team order incident involving Daniel Ricciardo. Alpine had a particularly challenging race, with poor qualifying results and a slow and difficult-to-handle car. Overall, the start of the 2024 season has been disappointing for some teams, while others continue to dominate.
