Max Verstappen continues where he left off last season by winning 2024 F1 opener in Bahrain

Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen kicked off his 2024 campaign by winning the season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit, continuing his formidable form from last season.

Verstappen rolled off from the pole position and dominated the race, winning by a margin of 22.457 seconds to his teammate Sergio Perez, who secured a 1-2 finish for Red Bull. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. rounded off the podium finishers for the Bahrain GP.

The Dutchman took his eighth consecutive victory, extending a streak that began with the Japanese Grand Prix last year. His current streak puts him third on the list of most consecutive wins in F1, with his previous 10-consecutive win record remaining the benchmark to beat.

Max Verstappen rolled off from pole position, defending his lead in turn one from Charles Leclerc who shared the front row. The 26-year-old didn't look back since he established a gap to the chasing pack, which kept growing over the 57-lap event, featuring a standard two-pit stops strategy.

Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez made a quick start and gradually gained positions before settling for second place. Leclerc, on the other hand, dropped down the grid suffering from brake issues, while his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. showed the true potential of the SF-24, trailing Perez by less than three seconds at the checkered flag.

Leclerc took fourth position after a race-long battle with George Russell, who was classified fifth ahead of Lando Norris and his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Oscar Piastri finished eighth, with the two Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll rounding out the points finishers.

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Max Verstappen claims Red Bull's race pace is "better than expected"

Max Verstappen capped off another "perfect race" for Red Bull despite the lap times in the qualifying sessions indicating that the chasing pack was not far behind.

The three-time F1 champion stated that the RB20 was quick on every tire compound and the season opener unfolded better than they had anticipated. Speaking in the parc-ferme interview post-race, he said:

"Unbelievable, I think today went even better than expected. The car was really nice on every compound, it was really lovely to drive. It was a lot of fun, I felt really good in the car. It's special to have these kind of days, where it all feels perfect and you feel at one with the car."

"I think the start was good and then we defended at turn 1 and focused on our race. It's a long, couple of days rest and then we go again," he added.

Verstappen will now aim to extend his win streak in the Saudi Arabian GP scheduled for March 7 to March 9.