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The 2024 F1 Bahrain GP marks the beginning of the season. After a pre-season that has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, we get to the start of the year, where the cars will finally be pushed to the limit and we find out what we can expect from the 24-race season.
For what it's worth, the controversy around Red Bull boss Christian Horner and the investigation against him have been resolved for now. Now what we can do is focus on the racing bit. This time around, the race is going to be held on a Saturday, and hence the entire schedule has been shifted by a day. So what can we expect from the first race of the season? Let's take a look.
2024 F1 Bahrain GP: Preview
Key Storylines
#1 The pecking order?
The first race of the season means there's a very vague idea of what the pecking order is. The grid can be divided into tiers for now, with Red Bull leading the way, followed by a decent gap to the second-best team, which could still be anyone from Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin.
The first time the cars run in anger on Friday in qualifying is when we get the idea of what the pecking order is going to be. Until then, while the rough idea exists in everyone's mind, the clarity might be lacking overall.
#2 The Red Bull dynamics
While Christian Horner and his situation with the internal investigation seem to be clear now, it remains to be seen how the Red Bull dynamics evolve. The 2024 F1 Bahrain GP will be the first race where the senior management, including Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, and Adrian Newey, work in unison at a race event.
After multiple reports of a possible conflict and possible friction between the stakeholders, there is a case of 'no smoke without fire' at Red Bull as well. The 2024 F1 Bahrain GP will be the first indication of what's going on at the team.
#3 The Mercedes-Lewis Hamilton dynamics
The Mercedes-Lewis Hamilton dynamics are a question that has even been put forward to both the driver and the team. While both have brushed aside the suggestions that there might be issues in working within the team, we need to wait and see what the reality of the situation is going to be. The 2024 F1 Bahrain GP will be the first indication of what is in store at the German team.
Form Guide
In form
There are no two ways about this one, as Max Verstappen looks menacing and ready to go after title number four. The Red Bull driver was in a league of his own in the pre-season test, and while the car looked good in the hands of Sergio Perez as well, it was something else for the Dutch driver. Heading into the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP, Max looks menacingly ominous for the opposition.
Out of form
All fingers point at the worst-performing works team on the grid, Alpine. The team is in bad shape with not much to speak of in terms of car performance on the track. The first time the livery was shown during the car launch, the excess of exposed carbon fiber was a sign that the team was in trouble.
Since then, that belief has only gotten stronger. If all the simulations are to be believed, then the French team might be even worse than where it was in 2023, and that's not a good sign for Renault.
2024 F1 Bahrain GP: Predictions
Who is going to win the race?
This one might be a tad easy. Unless there are a few reliability issues with the car that thwart his progress, Max Verstappen appears to be in prime position to win the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP.
Surprise of the weekend (team)
When it comes to the team, we're going with the Racing Bulls. That team has certainly made strides in a manner that was expected after Red Bull announced that there would be a closer association with the sister team. Having said that, the team and the drivers have tried their best to play down the pre-season form. At the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP, it would be a surprise if RB did not score points.
Surprise of the weekend (Driver)
We're going with Daniel Ricciardo on this one. The Australian seems to be confident and seemingly in the groove to get back to racing. With a car that's good enough to score points for now, the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP might just be the one where Daniel shines.
Disappointment of the weekend (Team)
This has got to go to Alpine. The team and the car just look all over the place at this stage, and the team would be doing some serious introspection at the moment. If the suspicions are true, it won't be a surprise if both Alpine drivers are out in Q1 in the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP.
Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)
Aston Martin belongs in a cluster of 4-5 teams that are bunched together and would need driver skills to make a difference and stand out. That's where someone like Fernando Alonso shines the brightest.
His teammate Lance Stroll, however, does not have the same accolades or even the application that helps him stand out in a field filled with elite talent. The 2024 F1 Bahrain GP might be the first race of the season, but we expect Lance Stroll to already fall behind considerably compared to his Spanish counterpart.
