At the start of the new Formula 1 season, world champion Max Verstappen sent a clear signal to the competition and took victory.
The Dutchman dominated the race from pole position on Saturday (March 2nd, 2024) and took first place ahead of his Mexican Red Bull colleague Sergio Perez (+22.457 seconds) and the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari).
Sainz’s designated successor, record world champion Lewis Hamilton, had also hoped for more from the new Mercedes. We couldn’t do better than seventh place. Nico Hülkenberg only finished 16th in the Haas after a crash at the start.
Verstappen just has to be careful when starting
For Verstappen at the front, the first race start of the year went exactly to the champion’s liking. He got away quickly and defended the pole during Leclerc’s tentative attack from the outside in the first corner. After the first ten kilometers of the 24-race season, the longest in the history of the premier motorsport class since 1950, Verstappen was already leading by one and a half seconds.
Max Verstappen in Red Bull
Behind him, Hamilton’s Mercedes colleague George Russell grabbed the Monegasque Leclerc, who drove faster than Verstappen on his pole lap in the second period of qualifying the day before. However, the 26-year-old, who had extended his long-term contract with Scuderia before the season, repeatedly made minor mistakes.
Advantage grows continuously
In contrast to Verstappen. The Dutchman, who is the same age, initially didn’t really get to grips with the new RB20 during training. But when it came to the starting positions, he was there. Lap after lap he increased his lead. It seemed like déjà vu from last season, in which Verstappen won 19 of 22 races.
Next weekend the Formula 1 circus will be making another stop in the desert. Then the Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia is on the program from March 7th to 9th.