F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1
THE BAHRAIN GP IN 5 KEY MOMENTS
1 Taking the bull by the horn(er)
F1 statistician Jacques Deschenaux’s annual Grand Prix Guide lists 68 occasions since 1950 where a driver has achieved a grand chelem or, in other words, pole position, fastest lap, victory and every lap of the race led. Max Verstappen’s quest to win a fourth world drivers’ title started in earnest when he achieved the sport’s 69th grand slam at the season opener in Bahrain.
For the record, this was the fifth time Max has recorded a perfect race. Only Lewis Hamilton (six times) and Jim Clark (eight times) have more.
As Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Pérez finished second – albeit 22.4s in arrears – Red Bull’s 29th one-two proceeded like clockwork on the track. Off it there was a very different story, to which we will return presently.
While the first race of 2024 felt like a continuation of last year, there were a few mitigating circumstances that gave the chasing pack reasons to hope it won’t be another complete Red Bull whitewash. The RB20’s predecessor was gentle on its tyres and the new car clearly enjoys the same characteristics. As a result the Red Bull pair were the only frontrunners to switch to the soft tyre for the final
