The Formula 1 landscape looked very different the last time the championship raced at the Bahrain International Circuit, though teams and drivers have driven at the track this year for pre-season testing.
The Bahrain Grand Prix kicked-off the 2024 season whereas the event comes in for round four this campaign.
Red Bull entered last year’s event as favourite after its dominance of the 2023 season and strong pre-season test but, despite winning courtesy of Max Verstappen in Japan last time out, reigning constructors’ champions McLaren will be fancied to come out on top.
But what did happen last year?
Red Bull mastery under the lights
Verstappen led away from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the start while then teammate Sergio Perez got ahead of the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz off the line. Lance Stroll took a spin at the back of the pack after contact with Nico Hulkenberg as the Red Bull streamed away.
Mercedes’ George Russell attacked Leclerc for second in the early stages, followed by Perez as the Ferrari fell backwards. McLaren was in flying formation further down the top 10 – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting through on Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
Leclerc was eventually left to fend off teammate Sainz, who would elbow his way through, while in the pitstop phase, the Monegasque regained position.
Perez meanwhile muscled his way past Russell for second as Verstappen had it all his own way out in front.
Sainz’s pace was extraordinary compared to his rivals for third, passing Leclerc again before disposing of Russell and setting off in pursuit of Perez.
But Red Bull would take a one-two finish, albeit Verstappen 22 seconds ahead of Perez. Sainz was third ahead of Leclerc and Russell, while then-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton split the two McLarens as they finished sixth, seventh and eighth.
Alonso took ninth ahead of a resurgent Stroll for double Aston Martin points, while Sauber’s race was ruined by pitstop nightmares that saw its drivers stationary for well over half a minute at a time.
