F1: Verstappen unstoppable, Sainz winning fans and is Norris best of Brits?

As 20 cars lined up on the grid ahead of Saturday’s F1 season opener there was a heightened sense of hope that the dominance seen by Max Verstappen and Red Bull last year would come to an end… of sorts.

But when the Dutchman crossed the line after 57 laps around the Bahrain International Circuit he was 22 seconds ahead of second place Sergio Perez – his teammate. That’s a gap double the one seen last year between the same two drivers in the same race with the same result.

So here’s what we learned from the F1 curtain raiser at the weekend.

Red Bull’s F1 dominance 

It’s hard to get away from the obvious point that Red Bull are clearly dominant again. A one-two in Bahrain with 25 seconds over third place is an incredible result for the team who many thought would be rocked by issues this weekend.

Tensions appear to remain between the team, their boss Christian Horner, Red Bull’s owners and even Verstappen’s dad Jos; but it at least the outfit know they’re still able to operate on the track.

Perez impressed in his march to second while Verstappen led for the entirety of the grand prix in a race that got his campaign – and the chase for a fourth consecutive title – off to the perfect start.

Determined Sainz

He’s the highest profile driver without a seat for 2025 after Lewis Hamilton swooped in to take his spot at Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc next year, but Carlos Sainz Jr impressed in Bahrain.

The Spaniard looked to be a man on a mission and finished in third position in what may become virtual interview No1 of a 24-stage process to find himself a drive for next year.

Knowing he’s on the move before the season starts will have focused Sainz. Outsourcing Leclerc in the opener would have made that sweeter.

McLaren off the mark

In both 2022 and 2023 McLaren opened their seasons without a point on the board, but on Saturday they gathered a haul of 12 with their sixth and eighth placed finishes.

It marks the first positive start to the season for a number of years and, given how McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri began to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull at the end of last year, it could bode well for the remainder of the season.

And with the likes of the big three now seeing a lessened impact of legacy infrastructure after the introduction of the budget cap, it could be a good couple of years for the Papaya Army.

Battle of Britain

In fifth, sixth and seventh yesterday were George Russell, Lando Norris and Hamilton, a trio who represent British motorsport at the moment.

As the only three Britons, Hamilton is the elder statesman while Russell is seen as his Mercedes successor. Norris, though established, remains the plucky challenger of the threesome.

It’s always exciting to see Brits battle at the highest level but this is the first time in two decades we’ve gone four years without one really challenging for a title, so how the trio adapt across the season will be worth watching.

Alpine F1 climb

A small point on the efforts of Alpine on Saturday, who finished 17th (Esteban Ocon) and 18th (Pierre Gasly) in the F1. 

It has been a difficult weekend for Alpine and post-race there were rumours of resignations – something the team principal Bruno Famin seemed to put to bed in his weekend debrief. But early signs suggest they could be the struggling side this year. 

After one race nothing is decided other than the inaugural winner of 2024. And with 23 F1 races to go there’s plenty of time for each driver or team to change their fortunes around; for better or worse.