Max Verstappen won the first F1 race of the season in Bahrain on Saturday night, leading from start to finish.
The reigning champion turned pole position into a race victory with a controlled drive that held off Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari rival Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen maintained his advantage once the match began and never looked back over the next 57 laps, eventually crossing the line with a 22-second lead over Perez, who made up for his modest effort in qualifying. He achieved a one-two for Red Bull.
Verstappen wins Bahrain GP
Sainz passed teammate Charles Leclerc, who suffered from tire deterioration and suffered multiple lock-ups, and moved past George Russell's Mercedes, who had been leading in the early stages, to move into fourth place.
'Inevitable' Max Verstappen wins first pole of the season
Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton encountered battery problems during the race, with the seven-time world champion also reporting a seat failure, forcing him to settle for seventh place behind McLaren's Lando Norris. did not become.
Verstappen said after the race that he was happy with the win.
“It went better than I expected,” he said.
“The car was really great to drive on every compound, the pace was really good and it was a lot of fun to drive.
“We avoided trouble and it's a great start to the year. It couldn't have been better,” Verstappen said.
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