New season, 'old' performances with all due respect and probable disappointment for those who expected to see a more open, competitive and spectacular Formula 1 World Championship.
What we saw today, on the circuit in the Sakhir desert, is a Circus where nothing has changed compared to recent seasons, at least if we look at what happened in the first Grand Prix of the 2024 Championship.
A GP won by a landslide, for a change by Max Verstappen and dominated by the super Red Bull who, thanks to second place, celebrate the first and certainly not the last double of this World Championship which has just begun.
Ferrari also gets on the podium with an excellent Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard starts slowly and then goes wild, placing himself clearly behind both his teammate Charles Leclerc (fourth and slowed down by brake problems) and George Russell's Mercedes, fifth.
Seventh went to the other Silver Star for Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari driver from 2025), never a protagonist today and held back by the broken seat of his single-seater.
Both the McLarens (sixth Norris and eighth Piastri) and the Aston Martins (ninth Alonso and tenth Stroll) finished in the top ten without any particular shocks.
Ready to go in Bahrain, with a regular start that sees Verstappen's Red Bull immediately ahead of Leclerc's Ferrari and Russell's Mercedes.
Perez's Red Bull is fourth, overtaking Sainz's Ferrari.
A few laps and it is immediately clear that this year's championship could be a photocopy of 2023 with Verstappen capable of taking off by lapping on the soft tires at least half a second faster than everyone else.
Ferrari confirms itself as second force as seen in the winter tests, with a wild Sainz who after the first pit stop with hard tires easily overtakes both Leclerc and Russell, launching himself in pursuit of Perez who is not as unattainable as the world champion of Red Bull Verstappen who seems unbeatable even with the white tyre.
For the first three positions the race seems frozen with the world champion comfortably ahead of Perez and Sainz.
Behind them, Russell and Leclerc are competing for fourth place, very close even after the second pit stop.
After brake problems at the start ("My car goes completely to the right when I brake. This way I can't fight, it's dangerous", said Leclerc via radio at the start of the race) the Monegasque Ferrari driver was very good ten laps from the in order to take advantage of an error by Russell and forcefully take fourth position which legitimizes the Maranello team as the second force in the championship at the end of the first race.
Up front Verstappen is the usual plunger and can celebrate the first seal of the championship without ever having had a problem, nipping the hopes of his rivals in the bud and confirming for now what Fernando Alonso brutally said during the tests ("19 drivers in this World Championship already know who will not win the title").
All in confirmation of an always dominant and festive Red Bull which also seems to have put the affair of its team principal Christian Horner behind it, today accompanied in the paddock hand in hand by his wife, the former Spice Girls Geri Halliwell.
"I think today went better than we expected - said an enthusiastic Verstappen - The car was easy to drive with every compound. We had an excellent pace. Driving was pleasant, it was a perfect start to the year, it couldn't have get better".
As for Ferrari, the steps forward seen in testing have been confirmed for a season where developments will be important to get ever closer to the world champions.
Finishing order of the F1 Bahrain GP
1 Verstappen (Red Bull)
2 Perez (Red Bull) at 22"457
3 Sainz (Ferrari) at 25"110
4 Leclerc (Ferrari) at 39"669
5 Russell (Mercedes) at 46"788
6 Norris (McLaren) at 48 "458
7 Hamilton (Mercedes) at 50"324
8 Piastri (McLaren) at 56"082
9 Alonso (Aston Martin) at 1'14"887
10. Stroll (Aston Martin) at 1'23"216
11 Zhou (Kick Sauber ) 2 laps
12 Magnussen (Haas F1) 2
13 Ricciardo (RB1) 2
14 Tsunoda (RB1) 2
15 Albon (Williams) 2 16
Hulkenberg (Haas) 3
17 Ocon (Alpine) 3
18 Gasly (Alpine) 3
19 Bottas (Kick Sauber) 2
20 Sargeant (Williams) 3
World Drivers' Championship
Max Verstappen 26
Sergio Perez 18
Carlos Sainz 15
Charles Leclerc 12
George Russell 10
Lando Norris 8
Lewis Hamilton 6
Oscar Piastri 4
Fernando Alonso 2
Lance Stroll 1
The world constructors' ranking
Red Bull 44
Ferrari 27
Mercedes 16
McLaren 12
Aston Martin 3
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA