medium sizeAx Verstappen officially takes pole position for the first race of the new Formula One season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, but the focus of attention under the floodlights and palm trees remains, as it has been all week, on Verstappen’s team principal Christie Ann Horner and his Red Bull team.
Despite all the chaos and drama surrounding Red Bull, it’s a salutary reminder that as a sporting entity they’re still surprisingly honed by dealing with all the chaos currently surrounding their core purpose of racing.
In the first round of the season, when the gloves really came off, Red Bull proved they had the advantage their opponents expected and feared. What was a formidable dominant car last year has undergone a positive evolution and is once again the clear leader in the group.
Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari for second by two-tenths and George Russell’s Mercedes by three-tenths Sis Racing Team finished third. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fourth, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez fifth and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ninth.
Red Bull wasn’t leading the pack in practice but was moving in the right direction when it mattered and Verstappen delivered as expected. It didn’t quite achieve the outright dominance expected, but the gap was still significant considering the car’s real strength was its race speed.
Verstappen showed his quality in the first race of season three with a strong lap time and then improved as the track wore on, improving on his time by three tenths. The time was 1 minute 29.179 seconds, enough to take pole position from Leclerc. Most notably, however, the track is difficult on the tires and has not been a good fit for Red Bull in the past, which is an ominous mark. In fact, Leclerc and Russell admitted they were worried Verstappen would run away and avoid pole position on Saturday.
However, while Red Bull did leave its mark, it was against the almost surreal tenor backdrop of the Bahrain International Circuit. Beside the track, fans can still enjoy a day of racing in a relaxed manner amidst the deafening sound of dance music. The atmosphere in the paddock was quieter but almost thick and heated, like a world away, and the mood grew heavier with each passing day of the week.
By Friday, rumors of another potential leak from the Horner investigation were flying, but had not materialized, and it was impossible not to feel that the game was a sideshow at best. On Wednesday, an independent investigation exonerated Horner after a female employee complained about his conduct. Then, on Thursday, the first leaks related to the investigation came shortly after the final practice session, when Hamilton finished in front in what should have been a minor headline moment that went almost unnoticed.
It’s been the same all week. Almost all of the crew’s presentations were conducted in the warm hospitality of the team, with guests sipping coffee in the background and the occasional team member in front of the camera to provide context for speculation and what-ifs.
As Horner walked the short distance to the garage for his final practice on Friday, he was surrounded by cameras and microphones and bombarded with questions he’d faced all week, for which he simply reiterated his insistence he wouldn’t do it. Comment on the event.
Team members went to great lengths to ensure everything continued as usual, with Chief Engineer Paul “Pedals” Monaghan showing his characteristic optimism and sharing a laugh with his colleagues. When Verstappen was asked on Wednesday to show his confidence and support for Horner ahead of the findings, he twice refused but remains a driver.
That’s his race look no matter what the circumstances, but he, like everyone in the paddock, will be affected by the events of the past few days because it’s impossible to ignore. Verstappen divided and delivered his usual pinpoint execution to take pole position, but he seemed keen to remain irrelevant as it could still be detrimental to his team and the man who was so young when he was young A huge influence on the people who brought him into F1. Only 17 years old.
For others in the paddock, however, exit is becoming increasingly unlikely and the pressure to take action is growing. Since parent company Red Bull announced the case was closed, both the FIA and F1 have fielded a series of relentless inquiries about its position and expected actions, saying it would not make any information about the investigation public and declining to comment further.
Both agencies insist they cannot speak or take action until they have evidence from the Red Bull investigation. How long they can maintain this stance is questionable. There’s a clear sense among other senior figures within the paddock that this is detrimental to the sport and they want the issue not just addressed, but addressed responsibly and publicly, further deepening an undeniable feeling that Horner and his The team was under siege despite their perfect start.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was sixth, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were seventh and eighth, and Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg was sixth. Ranked tenth.
RB Racing’s Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were 11th and 14th respectively, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll They were ranked 12th, with Alex Albon of Williams in 13th and Kevin Magnussen of Haas in 15th.
Stake F1’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finished 16th and 17th respectively, with Williams’ Logan Sargent 18th and Alpine’s poor pre-season performance led by Ace Twain Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished 19th and 20th respectively.
