Bahrain Grand Prix: the highs and lows according to the editorial team

Max Verstappen won the first Grand Prix of the 2023 season. In Bahrain, Red Bull even achieved a one-two finish with Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin for a surprising third place. Let’s look back at those who made a positive or negative impact this weekend.

Tops: Alonso’s comeback, Red Bull leading the pack, the pleasant surprise of Williams, and Gasly’s comeback.

Who else but the Spanish driver to start our top, the one who was elected driver of the day in Bahrain. At 41 years old, the Spaniard is like wine, he has improved with age at Aston Martin after a mediocre season at Alpine. We knew the Aston Martins were fast, but not that fast. After shining in the free practice sessions of the Bahrain Grand Prix and confirming his good form in qualifying, Fernando Alonso took third place on the podium in his first race with his new team. Starting fifth, he lost two places at the start but quickly made up for his mistake. With two overtakes on Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz, the double world champion proved that he still has all the form to secure his 99th career podium.

The big question is who can compete with Red Bull. The Austrian team achieved a fairly easy double, whether in qualifying or in the race. Max Verstappen had a smooth performance in Sakhir, never being challenged by other drivers. His teammate, Sergio Perez, although overtaken by Charles Leclerc at the start, quickly recovered by overtaking the Monegasque and finishing behind the Dutchman to secure a double that will surely not be the last. As for the suspense this season, we shouldn’t expect it from Red Bull.

The pleasant surprise of the weekend is called Williams. This first race was a success because with the FW45 being behind, very few people would have predicted points for the British team in Bahrain so soon. The qualifying session was not successful with Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon starting in the 16th and 15th positions on the grid, respectively. However, both drivers will have a rather good race. Placing a car in the points with Alex Albon, finishing in 10th position. On his side, rookie Logan Sargeant made a good impression with a 12th place finish, making him the highest ranked among the new drivers of the 2023 season.

Pierre Gasly, considering his qualifying session, could have been considered one of the flops, but the Frenchman managed to turn things around and finish in the points. With the 17th fastest time in Q1, which was ultimately canceled, the new Alpine driver started the Grand Prix from last place. With a more balanced A523 car than in qualifying, Pierre Gasly had a very good race and managed to climb up the rankings to finish 9th at the end of the race. An 11-place gain and only 1 second behind Valtteri Bottas. This gives reasons for optimism for Alpine if their driver can better manage the upcoming qualifying sessions.

Flops: Ocon underwater, Ferrari’s failure, McLaren the disappointment, a lack of championship suspense.

Unlike his teammate, Esteban Ocon had a good qualifying session, finishing in 9th place. However, Sunday was a real nightmare for the Frenchman. Right from the start, the Normandy driver made a mistake by not properly positioning himself on his starting line, with his right tire going beyond the marking on the ground. It’s important to note that this is a new rule introduced by the FIA this winter. After a sluggish start, being overtaken by Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas, the French driver faced a penalty after his first pit stop. This marked the beginning of Esteban Ocon’s ordeal, as he was forced to make a second pit stop to change his damaged wing and serve his penalty. The pit lane radar caught him going at 80.1km/h, just 0.1km/h over the speed limit. This violation resulted in an additional 5-second penalty. Furthermore, while serving his first penalty, one of the mechanics intervened too quickly (0.4 seconds before the end), which added another 10 seconds to his penalty, totaling 20 seconds throughout the race. Ending up last, Esteban Ocon was called back to the pit before the end of the race to preserve the car. It was a forgettable first weekend for the driver from Normandy.

It’s already been a tough start to the season for the Scuderia. While the Ferraris were not too far off from the Red Bulls in qualifying, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz didn’t have the pace to keep up with the Red Bulls in the race. But with only 12 points after the first Grand Prix, the weekend remains mixed. The reliability of the SF-23 forced Charles Leclerc to retire on the 39th lap while in 3rd place, bringing back bad memories for the tifosi. On the other hand, Carlos Sainz was pushed off the podium by his compatriot Fernando Alonso, and he was also not far from the threat of Lewis Hamilton. For Frédéric Vasseur’s debut, the Italian team didn’t live up to expectations and needs to bounce back at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to avoid entering a crisis at the start of the season.

While McLaren was the 5th force on the grid in 2022, they had a very rough start to the year in 2023. In order to replicate their performance from last year, the British team will have to double their efforts. Unable to qualify for Q3 (Norris in 11th and Piastri in 18th), McLaren’s weekend can be summed up as a long struggle. For the British driver, it was a 17th and last-place finish in the race with 6 pit stops. As for the team’s rookie, the performance was not much better, as the Australian had to retire on the 15th lap due to an electrical issue. If McLaren fails to solve all its problems, the season could be complicated for Zak Brown and his men.

Formula 1 enthusiasts awaited the start of the season with eager anticipation, but when it comes to the title race, suspense seems to be lacking. Despite a lively race, Red Bull seems to have already eliminated any competition for its succession. Initial impressions show that the Bull’s team is on a different level compared to the others. With a double in qualifying and the race secured right from the first event, the long-awaited title fight is not really happening. So, while caution is necessary since the season is long (23 Grand Prix, note), let’s hope that other teams catch up in the coming weeks.