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The 2024 F1 Bahrain GP kicked of the season the same way the 2023 season ended, with Max Verstappen on top. The Red Bull driver shut down any hopes of a possible challenge as he began his campaign in roaring fashion.
The 2024 F1 pre-season was a rollercoaster ride with no shortage of drama. The race, on the other hand, was a far more demure event and did not have the kind of twists and turns to keep the fans hooked.
Having said that, the first race is already in the bag, and we have Max Verstappen on top of the standings with the most points. With the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP now done and dusted, there will be a few happy with how the season has kicked off, while there will be others hoping that things had fared a bit better. Who are they? Let's take a look in our winners and losers feature for the first race of the season.
2024 F1 Bahrain GP
Winner
Max Verstappen
There's no bigger winner than Max Verstappen at the F1 Bahrain GP if the driver is able to eke out a second per lap on the competition from the start of the race. The Dutch driver is well and truly on his quest to become a four-time world champion as welll as break the monstrous records he set last year.
Loser
The Chasing pack
As it stands, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are so far ahead of everyone else that it's hard to imagine a scenario where teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin could challenge them. After the optimism of F1 Bahrain GP qualifying, the teams would have woken up to a humbling reality during the race.
Winner
Christian Horner
The race ended with his lead driver more than 20 seconds clear of everyone else. The dominant win has overshadowed the big elephant in the room that was the Christian Horner saga. After the leak of the alleged evidence in his investigation, the Red Bull boss has chosen not to say anything about it.
After the race, he stood in front of the media after what was very public display of the Thai majority shareholder of Red Bull and his wife Geri Halliwell by his side. The storm has not subsided, and there are a few things that are still unaddressed. For now, though, Christian Horner did his talking on the track.
Loser
Alpine
On the eve of the F1 Bahrain GP, rumors were floating in the paddock that Alpine has lost its technical director and the head of aerodynamics. Both of them have apparently resigned from the job, and what is left is a team that's got a makeshift team principal in place and no technical director or head of aerodynamics.
Alpine is a sinking ship if there were any in F1, and the day Otmar Szafneur and Alain Permaine were fired was the day this Titanic hit its iceberg.
Winner
Haas
Haas could have scored a point at the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP. The fact that we're even making such a claim is a big thing because the expectations could not have been lower from the team after it got rid of Guenther Steiner early in the year.
The drivers can now push with this car and the fact that Hulkenberg shoved the nose of the Haas into the top 10 should be an indication that there are some interesting things going on in the team.
Loser
Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo
A younger Daniel Ricciardo might have overtaken Kevin Magnussen on the last lap. This might sound harsh on the Australian, but Ricciardo has made a career out of his perfectly timed overtakes. The fact he just chose to hang back and not give the full beans was interesting, as racecraft was one of the things that helped Ricciardo excel in F1.
Yuki Tsunoda, on the other hand, displayed at the F1 Bahrain GP what could easily be a sackable offense for the Japanese driver. The red mist moment saw Yuki being so frustrated by team orders that he almost took out Daniel Ricciardo on the track after the race. The move was not only unprofessional, but also another reason why Red Bull has been hesitant with him. It will be interesting to see if Tsunoda comes out with an apology before Jeddah, because he is clearly walking on thin ice at the moment.
