As the defending champion, Max Verstappen was widely expected to be the man to beat for a third title this year. He lived up to that hype in the 2023 Bahrain season-opener, leaving the rest of the grid in his wake. By crossing the finish line almost 12 seconds before Sergio Perez, he secured a perfect one-two result for Red Bull—a stark contrast to the 2022 opener where both teammates failed to finish.
Defending champion Max Verstappen went into the new season very much as the favourite to add a third title under his belt. The Formula 1 2023 opener in Bahrain did little to change that stance as the young Dutch driver blew away the competition on his way to victory. Almost 12 seconds clear of team-mate Sergio Perez when he took the chequered flag, it meant that Red Bull recorded the one-two finish, this in stark contrast to this time last year when both drivers retired at the 2022 Bahrain season-opener.
This victory was a personal milestone for Verstappen, marking his first win in Bahrain. While speaking with reporters, the Red Bull star admitted with a smile that the team is thrilled with such a strong start, acknowledging that this level of immediate success is something they don't always take for granted.
Earlier in the weekend, the 25-year-old had some concerns regarding how the RB19 handled over a single lap. When asked if these issues persisted during the actual race, Verstappen explained that it's harder to feel the car's limits when it is heavily fueled. It appears there are still a few minor tweaks he wants the team to address before they head to Jeddah.
He further explained that the car's characteristics change during long runs, making it impossible to push to the absolute limit. Because of this, the balance issues he felt early on weren't as prominent during the race. While the team is celebrating now, Verstappen emphasized that they will analyze the data back at the factory to refine the car before the next round in Jeddah.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez believed his chance at winning vanished the moment he lost a position to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the start. It took until Lap 26 for Perez to reclaim that spot, and by then, Verstappen was long gone. The 33-year-old Mexican driver admitted his main goal then was simply to secure the second-place spot for the team.
Perez noted that his primary focus was damage control after a poor start. He mentioned that the team has plenty of data to review to ensure they can maintain this kind of consistency as the season progresses.