Formula 1 started unchanged: Verstappen swept Red Bull, Ferrari abandoned and Alonso is pure illusion

Twenty Sundays passed, but nothing changed

.

Formula

began the 2023 season with the

as the previous one ended: the current two-time world champion

swept the track along with his Red Bull partner

,

accumulated disappointments with the abandonment of

and the Spanish

confirmed the expectation of being able to fight, at 41, aboard Aston Martin.

"Getting a podium in the first race of the year is incredible,"

reacted Alonso, two-time world champion (2005, 2006) and who climbed a podium in the highest category of motorsport for the 99th time.

Photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP.

But the weekend at the Sakhir circuit was dominated from pole position by the Dutchman, who started without hesitation and began to build an undeniable difference thanks to the superlative performance of a Red Bull that seems unbeatable.

Red Bull knows how to manage not only the power of its vehicle, but also the durability of its tires, where even this Sunday it surprised with a strategy in which it used soft tires from the start, which did not have as much resistance in its rivals.

Ferrari, the announced main adversary of the Austrian team, relived some of the nightmares of last season, when due to a mechanical problem, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc was forced to retire with twenty laps to go.

"There was no power so it's a shame because it's on these weekends that we need to maximize the points

," lamented the 2022 runner-up in statements to Canal+.

Photo: AP / Frank Augstein.

Thus there was a repetition of the script from last season in Bahrain, but with other protagonists, because that time it was the Red Bulls who were forced to abandon in the last few laps due to mechanical problems.

This time, Verstappen was able to win in the desert and in a calendar premiere, in both items for the first time in his career.

Ferrari managed to minimize damage thanks to the Spanish Carlos Sainz Jr, who was beaten on the track by his compatriot Alonso in the fight for the podium, but defended fourth position against the attacks of the British Lewis Hamilton (

).

Aston Martin, the revelation team of the season after its good results in preseason and in free practice this weekend, placed its second driver

in sixth position, ahead of the other Mercedes, George Russell (7th).

"Congratulations to Lance (Stroll), operated on two days ago and now fighting against the whole world

," Alonso declared after reaching the finish line.

The Canadian was doubtful until the last minute due to a wrist injury.

Photo: REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Despite the final cordiality, things started badly on the track for the Aston Martin duo: Alonso lost fifth position at the start and fell to seventh for the benefit of both Mercedes after a small collision with Stroll.

But the Spaniard managed to make up lost ground, quickly passed Russell and engaged in an intense one-on-one with Hamilton midway through the race, managing to climb back to fifth.

"We expected to start ahead of them (Mercedes) in the race but we didn't have the best start so we had to overtake them, that gave us more adrenaline

," explained the 41-year-old veteran driver.

"I hope people liked it, I liked it"

, smiled who got on a podium again after a year and four months (his last time had been in 2021).

Finnish

(Alfa Romeo), Frenchman

(Alpine), who came from 20th and last position, and Thai

(Williams) completed the 'Top 10'.

The next Formula 1 Grand Prix will be at the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia from March 17 to 19.