Max Verstappen secured his 55th career victory at the 2024 Bahrain GP, while his teammate Sergio Perez finished behind him in second place, ensuring a good start to the season for Red Bull Racing. The final spot on the podium was occupied by Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who finished ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc.
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From the moment Verstappen secured pole position by a narrow margin in qualifying, it was evident that he meant business. As the lights went out on race day, Verstappen led the pack into Turn 1 and maintained his position throughout the 57-lap grand prix. While Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, couldn't challenge for the lead, he secured second place, ensuring a Red Bull 1-2 finish.
Behind the Red Bull duo, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz emerged as the best of the rest, securing a podium finish despite facing challenges from his teammate Leclerc, who struggled with brake issues throughout the race. Mercedes, on the other hand, experienced a mixed outing, with Russell showing early promise before encountering engine overheating problems that caused him to finish fifth, while Hamilton battled an electrical issue and a broken seat as he struggled to make significant progress from his starting position finishing only seventh.
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The McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled to make any significant gains from their starting positions crossing the line in sixth and eighth respectively. In the midfield, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggled for the outright pace they enjoyed a year ago with ninth and tenth-place finishes respectively.
However, tensions arose within the VCARB camp when Yuki Tsunoda was instructed to yield to teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the closing stages of the race, sparking explosive disagreement between the drivers over team orders and strategy.
