As the lights went out for the first time in 2024 around Bahrain it was amazing how much had changed, and yet, how much had stayed the same.
Most drivers got away cleanly with only Nico Hulkenberg getting caught up at turn 1. The German driver did superbly to get into Q3 but all his hard work was soon undone.
After shunting Lance Stroll sending the Canadian into a spin the Haas driver found himself last in the pecking order.
Out in front it was business as usually for Max Verstappen who quickly built a lead ahead of the Ferraris and George Russell.
In a week in which Red Bull has been focusing on Christian Horner’s behaviour, it’s clear they’ve still managed to churn out an incredibly fast car.
An ominous warning for the rest of the field.
We got our first experience of the inter-Ferrari battle that will be a highlight of the 2024 season. Carlos Sainz had more race pace than his teammate and put a move on him in the early stages of the race.
There’ll be no love lost between the pair as Sainz fights for his future in the sport. That motivation can elevate a driver to a new level. Carlos is one to keep an eye out for – especially as we get to silly season in the summer.
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Mercedes happy – but are they fast?
Mercedes showed good pace in Thursday practice giving the team hope of a positive start to 2024. George Russell further raised expectations after fantastic performance in qualifying.
He got off to a good start too, staying in the hunt for a podium, however it soon became clear that they were some way behind the Ferraris. Never mind the Red Bulls.
Russell did well to bring the car home in 5th in the end. The Mercedes drivers finished in the same positions as 2023 although with the drivers swapped around.
A sign of stagnation in the once dominant team perhaps?
Hamilton meanwhile made little progress after managing just P9 in qualifying. By the midway stage of the race he was sandwiched between the McLaren’s in 7th. A position he remained in till the end
It is the kind of pace that will leave the 7-time champion feeling vindicated in his decision to leave the team at thee end of the year.
Toto Wolff will be concerned that the radical changes they made to the car appear to have done little to help their performance.
The word from the team has been positive with both drivers and staff talking about how much better the balance is in contrast to last season.
“It doesn’t seem to be very fast either,” surmised Martin Brundle in commentary.
It was also a disappointing day for Aston Martin. A team that attracted headlines and excitement only 12 months ago when it became clear they had a quick car.
Here, they never looked like getting more than a few scraps of points. Stroll did well to recover following his spin on the opening lap, taking home a point in 10th place.
Alonso never seemed to be at his best on race day as a long second stint left him in a race of his own in 9th. The team won’t be happy that they’ve fallen back, but the signs were already there in 2023.
Red Bull in a world of their own
Out in front though there was never any doubt. It was more of the same as Red Bull and Verstappen contuse to find another gear ahead of the rest.
Sergio Perez looked comfortable in second place but never really looked like challenging for the lead.
The early signs are that Red Bull will start the season as comfortably the best team. In race trim at least.
Although props to Max for a faultless race again. We can see the troubles Perez has fighting to the front. Driving a Red Bull isn’t as easy as it sounds.
We move on to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia next weekend. Lets hope for more fighting at the front.