Bahrain Grand Prix: Max Verstappen wins the opening race of the 2023 F1 season ahead of Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso

Max Verstappen cruised to victory to take the first win of the 2023 Formula 1 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Dutchman was in a class of his own, leading from start to finish and ended 12 seconds in front of his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez. 

The final podium position was snatched by Fernando Alonso in the revitalised Aston Martin, after he produced some sensational overtaking manoeuvres on George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and then Carlos Sainz. 

The Spaniard secured his 99th career podium in the sport in his 317th race start as the most experienced driver on the grid. 

It was a day to forget for Ferrari. One year on from their 1-2 finish at this same circuit, Charles Leclerc was forced to retire on Lap 41, while Sainz lost out to his compatriot for the podium place and finished fourth.

Mercedes’ Hamilton finished fifth, just ahead of Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin – just days after the latter was cleared to race despite fracturing a wrist and breaking a toe before the pre-season test.

The top 10 was proceeded with Valtteri Bottas in the Alfa Romeo in eighth and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in P9.

James Vowles’ first race as a team principal at Williams was a successful one as Alex Albon came home to take the final point.

Bahrain Grand Prix failed to excite

A new season, a new buzz to the paddock to a much-anticipated start to 2023, but the race didn’t live up to expectation.

A sequenced start saw a few squabbles throughout the midfield where McLaren duo Lando Norris and debutant Oscar Piastri both struggled. The latter was forced to retire in the opening 15 laps due to electrical issues.

The start saw sparks fly where the impressive Aston Martin pair clashed into Turn 4. Canadian Stroll whacked into the back of his more experienced team-mate, both cars managing to get away unscathed.

Among the flurry of pitstops Aston Martin managed to take advantage of the undercut and their raw race pace to get ahead of their closest rivals, Mercedes. 

Alonso then conducted a scintillating move on seven-time world champion Hamilton down into turn 10, while Stroll got past George Russell to take sixth.

Verstappen then went on to crush the field after a temporary stoppage due to Leclerc’s disaster on track brought out the Virtual Safety Car.

As well as it being the world champion’s first win in Sakhir, it was the first time Red Bull had turned a 1-2 from qualifying into a 1-2 in the race since Abu Dhabi in 2013.

By Daniel Baverstock