F1: Max Verstappen Maintains His Lead In Bahrain Formula 1

Formula 1: Max Verstappen maintains his lead in Bahrain as the first day of F1 preseason testing comes to an end. On the first day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, Max Verstappen swept the board, recording a new pace in the afternoon after setting a new mark in the morning.

Max Verstappen recorded a time of 1m 32.548s in the warmer midday circumstances, but as the second session went on and the sun started to set over the Sakhir desert, he dropped to 1m 31.344s. Verstappen, along with George Russell of Mercedes, was one of just two drivers to drive the entire day. He also maintained his excellent mileage as he surged past two race distances.

Following their teammates Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz of McLaren and Ferrari topped the timesheets during the afternoon and nighttime sessions.

Upcoming 2024 season in Bahrain, Formula 1 is back in action

In the first morning session, Max Verstappen led the way in his brand-new Red Bull, eventually finishing the Bahrain International Circuit in 1 minute, 32.548 seconds.

In the early part of the first day, all ten Formula One teams gained crucial mileage, and there was still plenty more to come. Pre-season testing takes place over three days, with two sessions. The first session runs from 1000 to 1400 local time, while the second session runs from 1500 to 1900.

🏁 DAY 1 MORNING SESSION CLASSIFICATION 🏁

Max Verstappen tops the timesheets 🚀

And, Fernando Alonso puts in the most laps of anyone in the morning session, with 77 👊#F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/kLVxc9gNXH
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 21, 2024

After his morning workout, Fernando Alonso was ranked seventh overall, ahead of Piastri, Zhou Guanyu, the leading Kick Sauber, and Logan Sargeant, a rookie to the sport from Williams.

Sargeant’s plans were, however, derailed twice: once by a crazy spin at Turn 9 that put him into the run-off area, and again by a possible driveshaft problem that sent him to the pits. The only other drivers competing were George Russell, who moved up to 12th place. The other drivers in action were Yuki Tsunoda, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon, and Esteban Ocon from RB, Kick Sauber, Williams, and Alpine.

Formula 1: Max Verstappen maintains his lead in Bahrain as the first day of F1 preseason testing comes to an end — source: twitter

Max Verstappen F1 Titles

Last year, Red Bull had the most successful season ever, winning 21 of 22 races, and 26-year-old Dutch driver Max Verstappen set a record with 19 wins.

In the last 44 races, Red Bull has also won 38 of them. In an interview with TNT Sports, Dodds stated, “99% of the time, unless he gets hurt or something crazy happens, he (Verstappen) gets that trophy.” On Wednesday, the first day of Formula One testing, Verstappen set the pace. On March 2, the season will begin there. According to Dodds, Formula E is evolving quickly and becoming more and more swift.

At 17 years and 166 days, he made history as the youngest driver to compete in a Formula One race at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. After competing for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015, Verstappen began 2016 with the Italian squad. After four races, he was elevated to Red Bull Racing, the parent team, to take Daniil Kvyat’s seat. He became the youngest driver in Formula One history and the first Dutch driver to win a Grand Prix when, at the age of 18, he won the Spanish Grand Prix on his Red Bull Racing debut.

Verstappen, the first Dutch driver and the 34th overall won ten Grands Prix in the 2021 season, making history as the Formula One World Drivers’ Champion. In 2022 and 2023, he secured the following two Formula One titles in a row. Verstappen holds 34 pole positions, 30 fastest laps, and 54 victories as of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2023. He not only holds the record for the youngest Grand Prix winner but also for the most wins in a season and the most win in a row in Formula One. Verstappen signed a contract extension, meaning he will stay with Red Bull until at least the conclusion of the 2028 season.