F1 Bahrain GP 2024 LIVE: Results with Max Verstappen winning the first race of season
Follow live F1 updates from the first race of the season in Bahrain with Max Verstappen leading from pole
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Your support makes all the difference.Formula 1’s 2024 season is well underway as the teams prepare for Saturday’s race with the noise surrounding Christian Horner refusing to fade.
Friday’s action in Bahrain saw Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz top the leaderboard in the third free practice session to set up a Ferrari-Red Bull clash in qualifying. McLaren’s Lando Norris also found some quick pace though the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were unable to maintain their strong showing from Thursday.
In qualifying, Max Verstappen won the battle against Ferrari and finished on pole thanks to an improved lap time of 1:29:179 beating out Charles Leclerc by 0.228 seconds. Hamilton starts in P9 though teammate Russell had a storming final lap to clinch P3 and will be in with a chance of challenging the leaders today. Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso round out the top five.
Elsewhere, Christian Horner drew the media’s attention again after Whatsapps allegedly sent by him to a female colleague were leaked to the press, in what could be an embarrassing development for the Red Bull team principal who had previous been investigated and cleared over alleged ’inappropriate behaviour’.
Follow updates from the Bahrain Grand Prix with The Independent:
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: George Russell overtakes Charles Leclerc!
Terrific move from George Russell, who takes Charles Leclerc into turn four and takes second place with it!
Did the Ferrari make a mistake?
Top-10 after three laps: Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Perez, Sainz, Norris, Alonso, Piastri, Hamilton, Tsunoda
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: DRS enabled
New for this year - DRS is enabled after just one lap instead of two!
Leclerc, however is already outside of that.
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Max Verstappen keeps the lead at turn one!
Terrific start from Max Verstappen off the line, who holds off an ambitious challenge on the outside from Charles Leclerc!
George Russell just holds off Sergio Perez to keep third.
Front wing damage for Hulkenberg, who has dropped from sixth to 19th! There was an incident at turn one in the midfield...
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Formation lap!
All 20 drivers on the soft tyre as we get underway with the formation lap.
Will anyone challenge Verstappen down into turn one?
Here we go then!
A reminder of the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix:
1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Sergio Perez
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Lando Norris
8. Oscar Piastri
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Nico Hulkenberg
11. Yuki Tsunoda
12. Lance Stroll
13. Alex Albon
14. Daniel Ricciardo
15. Kevin Magnussen
16. Valtteri Bottas
17. Zhou Guanyu
18. Logan Sargeant
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Pierre Gasly
Guenther Steiner secures new job in F1 after Haas exit
And a reminder about Steiner:
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner will return to work in F1 as a pundit for German broadcaster RTL.
Steiner lost his job at Haas in January after eight seasons leading the American team in Formula 1, with team owner Gene Haas opting for a change with trackside engineering director Ayao Komatsu promoted to team boss.
Yet Steiner, known for his colourful language and entertaining appearances on Netflix’s Drive to Survive, has now found a new job with RTL, who broadcast F1 in Germany.
Former Haas principal says who he believes will be the race winner
Guenther Steiner to Sky Sports: “It’s good to be here, I wasn’t supposed to be here two weeks ago.”
When asked who his money was on Steiner said: “Max.”
Lando Norris starting in P7
Lando Norris has spoken to Sky Sports: “I mean we’re just in a pack that is very close, but I made a mistake and paid the price and I was seventh. It can easily go our way, it can easily go someone else’s way but it should be exciting.
“If things go in our way, there are a lot of cars that we have to overtake (to get podium) and especially the Red Bulls and the Ferraris are very strong so...”
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Winner odds!
Max Verstappen - 2/13
Charles Leclerc - 9/1
Sergio Perez, George Russell - 20/1
Carlos Sainz - 25/1
Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton - 40/1
Lando Norris - 50/1
Oscar Piastri - 66/1
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