Max Verstappen Takes First Win of the Season in Bahrain Grand Prix

Max Verstappen put in a dominant performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, taking the first win of the 2023 Formula 1 season. The Red Bull driver beat out his teammate Sergio Perez to claim pole position in Saturday’s qualifying, and held off a late charge from Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in the final stages of the race.

Verstappen got off to a strong start, maintaining his lead at the front of the pack as the drivers jostled for position in the opening laps. Hamilton and his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, managed to close the gap in the middle stages of the race, but were unable to mount a serious challenge to Verstappen’s lead.

Perez, meanwhile, had to fend off a determined attack from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to hold onto second place. The Mexican driver ultimately finished just over a second ahead of his rival, with Hamilton and Bottas rounding out the top four.

The race was not without its drama, however. Williams driver Nicholas Latifi caused a collision with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in the early stages of the race, prompting the deployment of the safety car.

Later on, McLaren’s Lando Norris launched a daring move on Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in a battle for fifth place, but the two drivers collided and both were forced to retire from the race.

In the end, though, it was Verstappen’s day. The Dutchman crossed the finish line 4.6 seconds ahead of Perez to take his first win of the season and extend his lead in the drivers’ championship standings.

“I’m really happy with the win today,” Verstappen said after the race. “It was a tough race, but the car felt great all weekend and the team did an amazing job. I can’t wait to see what we can do in the next race.”

The next stop on the Formula 1 calendar is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which will take place at Italy’s Imola circuit in two weeks’ time.