'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACBAAAwACAQIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQFEjEGBxETFSJyAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAxEBAQACAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAwQREzL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AJy8VpLzRpxvGdQg9eXq2kPZmqaeraQdNabjqcTVuykkDJ8t8FO1EGpb0VyB9kPY/nGMfHry0JBIetHyZS1vZ3SqxKuf/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2023 Bahrain GP kickstarted the season with a Max Verstappen-dominant win.
In a race weekend that almost began with a false dawn on Saturday with an ultra-competitive qualifying saw everything crash down in the race. Verstappen made his way through the first corner unscathed, and no one even caught much of his slipstream in the entire race.
The race ended with two Red Bull cars on the podium and Fernando Alonso taking the third position. So, when it was all said and done at the 2023 Bahrain GP race weekend, what did we learn? Let's take a look.
Trending
#1 Red Bull and Max Verstappen look ominous after 2023 F1 Bahrain GP
The new regulations did not envision this kind of dominance where one car would just leave the rest of the pack trailing in its lurch.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what has happened. We should still wait for at least a few more races before making any major proclamations, but it's safe to say that Verstappen has become an even bigger favourite for the title.
The Red Bull looked the best on the track and was more than half a second quicker than anybody else. Will the gap stay the same in the coming races? It's difficult to say, but the potential of a Red Bull-Max Verstappen dominance is much higher after the 2023 Bahrain GP.
#2 Mercedes and Ferrari are just wasting their drivers' talents
It's nice to see Lewis Hamilton fighting it out against Fernando Alonso for a possible podium.
It's also nice to see Charles Leclerc extract every bit from his car as he tried to keep Sergio Perez at bay. What's not fun is not seeing either of these talents fighting at the front of the grid against Verstappen.
What's even more disappointing is the soul-crushing DNF late in the race for Leclerc.
Right now, in the current era of F1, there's no such thing as losing out because you don't have resources. There's a budget cap in place, and Red Bull is majorly compromised. So even in these circumstances Mercedes or Ferrari can't give their drivers a car to fight for the title, that has to be considered a major disappointment.
#3 Fernando Alonso's podium finish is a life lesson
There are many drivers and accomplished athletes hwo use the term "Never Give Up" often.
Fernando Alonso showed at the 2023 Bahrain GP that he's the embodiment of it. The Spaniard has not been in a frontrunning car since 2013; he's a 41-year-old veteran and has been driving in F1 even before Oscar Piastri was born.
For a talent like him, it has been nothing but failure as he could not even compete for podiums. Alonso, though, did not give up.
He kept plugging away and now finds himself in a car with which he can compete. Keep an eye on the Spaniard as he continues to make magic happen in an F1 car. There's more than a Bahrain GP podium Alonso could achieve this season.
#4 McLaren should be embarrassed
McLaren is the worst car on the F1 grid right now, and the 2023 Bahrain GP was proof of that. Lando Norris dragged his McLaren to P11 in qualifying, but it's safe to say that he knew what was in store for the future.
The team turned the Bahrain GP into a test with even Norris losing count of how many times the car had to pit to make changes. The team needs improvements on the car, and it needs them quickly.
The upgrade package in Imola/Baku (whenever they bring it) is going to be pivotal to the chances of the team. It will be interesting to see what the team does next because for now, the team find themselves in the worst possible place.
#5 Midfield is one chaotic place
If we take a look at what happened behind the top four teams, it's anybody's game. Williams and Alfa Romeo scoring points was a surprise.
It was also a surprise to see Haas plummetting down the order. What does appear to be the case in midfield, at least in the early stages of the season, is that one has to be optimal in the way they go about their setup for the race.
The margins are small, and the scope for error is even smaller. After the top four teams, it's safe to say that driver skill, set-up optimisation, and maybe even a tad bit of luck are going to define how the race goes for these teams.
