Max Verstappen, the three-time defending world champion, won the Formula 1 race on Saturday, easily outpacing
the pack by 22 seconds, demonstrating that the continuing crisis surrounding Red Bull had no influence on him.
Verstappen qualified first for the Bahrain Grand Prix and led Red Bull to a dominant one-two finish with teammate
Sergio Perez. Verstappen was never truly challenged during the race. Embattled team principal Christian Horner was
accompanied by his ex-pop star wife, Geri Halliwell, both prior to the race and during the podium celebration.
Verstappen stated, “Today went even better than expected.” “It was a great time.”
After a fierce battle with his teammate Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr. finished third for Ferrari.
Verstappen is on track to replicate his near-perfect 2023 season, in which he won 19 of 22 races, as the longest-
running Formula One season begins with 24 races.
The unwelcome attention hasn’t been fun, Horner said, but the automobiles are now the main attraction. “I’ve been
really focused on what’s on track, and I believe today’s outcome shows where the team’s attention is at right now, so
we’re moving forward.”
On race day, Horner and Halliwell—better known as Ginger Spice from the Spice Girls pop group—came hand in
hand, and they rejoiced as Verstappen was awarded his trophy. The race was held in response to FIA President
Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s statement to the Financial Times that the unrest around Horner was “damaging the
sport.”
The club’s parent corporation rejected a complaint on Wednesday over Horner’s alleged misbehavior towards a team
member. A file purportedly containing evidence against Horner was emailed to around 200 individuals in the F1
paddock, including Liberty Media, F1, the FIA, the other nine team principals, and numerous media outlets, one day
later during practice in Bahrain.
The Associated Press has not confirmed the files’ legitimacy; they originated from a generic email account.
Perez went from sixth on the grid to second and barely had any opposition after that, demonstrating yet again how
much quicker Red Bull is than any other team.
With a faded attack from George Russell’s Mercedes, Sainz secured his first podium position since the October
United States GP.
Leclerc said that Ferrari was taking a “step forward” in comparison to their miserable 2023 after finishing second in
qualifying. On race day, though, the Italian squad was unable to catch up to Red Bull.
Verstappen’s inside line at the first corner put a stop to Leclerc’s challenge to him. Russell, Perez, and Sainz, his
Ferrari teammate, quickly passed Leclerc after that.
Particularly Sainz engaged in close combat with his teammate, and then continued to do so when Leclerc
momentarily gained the upper hand during the pit stop. It was Sainz’s first race after it was revealed Lewis Hamilton
would take his Ferrari position in 2025.
After complaining to Ferrari about the car’s “dangerous” rightward pull under braking, which prevented him from
defending his position, Leclerc’s day took a turn for the worse. But he bounced back later to pass Russell and take
fourth place.
After a quiet race in the second Mercedes, Russell finished fifth, Lando Norris sixth for McLaren, and seven-time
winner Lewis Hamilton seventh. The two Aston Martins driven by Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso came in front
of Oscar Piastri of McLaren in seventh place.
