Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sent out a chilling message to his Formula 1 rivals with a crushing victory in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Verstappen led team-mate Sergio Perez home ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Leclerc recovered from dropping to fifth early on to pass Mercedes’ George Russell for fourth in the closing laps.
erstappen went into the race as a strong favourite, after winning a closer-than-expected battle for pole position with Leclerc.
The three-time champion suffered a little wheelspin in the second phase of his start, which allowed the Ferrari driver to challenge on the outside at the first corner.
But Leclerc backed out on the exit and that was the end of the race for victory.
Verstappen pulled away from his pursuers at an average of around 0.8 seconds a lap to take total control of the race on his way to his 55th grand prix victory.
The race was all behind him, as Leclerc struggled in the early laps, frequently locking his front brakes, and coming under pressure from behind.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was sixth ahead Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took eighth, with the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the points finishers in ninth and 10th.
