Max Verstappen eases to dominant Bahrain Grand Prix win

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In Bahrain last Saturday, Max Verstappen secured a victory for Red Bull, who were struggling with internal issues, and impressed Christian Horner with his performance in the first race of the F1 season.

Leading up to the initial stage of the campaign in this Gulf Kingdom, the focus has been taken away by accusations revolving around the head of the Red Bull team, Horner.

Horner, accompanied by his spouse Geri to display solidarity prior to the 57-lap race on Saturday, can gain momentary respite knowing that Verstappen is at the forefront of the Red Bull team, with Sergio Perez following closely behind in second place.

Carlos Sainz from Ferrari ended up in third position, just edging ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc, while Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had a somewhat dismal race - finishing in fifth and seventh place respectively. Meanwhile, McLaren's Lando Norris claimed sixth place.

In Bahrain, Horner went through an exceptional week as Red Bull Racing's parent company, Red Bull GmbH, concluded their investigation on Wednesday regarding the allegations of "inappropriate behavior" made by a female colleague, clearing him of any wrongdoing.

Afterwards, numerous WhatsApp messages believed to have been authored by him were released to the public in the F1 community within 24 hours.

Horner has not shown any signs of backing down and instead, he demonstrated his solidarity with his wife Geri, who was once a member of the Spice Girls. They walked hand-in-hand in the paddock approximately one hour and 45 minutes before the race started, showing that they are standing strong together.

Chalerm Yoovidhya, a rich business person from Thailand who has the most shares in Red Bull, showed his backing for Horner by joining him on the team's balcony. This was a way of demonstrating his support publicly.

Horner gave his wife Geri a kiss before going to the pit wall to witness his team's dominance over their competitors. They both stood happily side by side beneath the podium while Verstappen rejoiced in his victory.

Max Verstappen has won the previous three world championships and it appears that his dominance will persist until 2024 after a strong win from start to finish.

The driver from the Netherlands beat his teammate Perez by 22.4 seconds to achieve his 18th victory in the past 19 F1 races. Surprisingly, he also won 36 times since Hamilton last won a grand prix.

"Amazing way to kick off the year, team! Securing both first and second place is absolutely awesome," Verstappen exclaimed through the radio communication.

Horner responded by saying, "I agree with you Max, attaining pole position, finishing in the top two, recording the fastest lap and grabbing every other accolade is a fantastic way to kick-off the year. I appreciate it very much."

Sky Sports asked Horner if he was sure he would head the team in Saudi Arabia the following week. He answered, "Without a doubt. If not, I wouldn't be here."

Red Bull was so dominant in last season's championship that they had the privilege of focusing on this year's car earlier than their rivals.

Renowned designer Adrian Newey seems to have constructed a vehicle that could elevate Verstappen to new heights.

Verstappen managed to avoid being overtaken by Leclerc from Ferrari as they headed towards the first turn. Once the race was in full swing, it was evident that Verstappen was in control and on his way to a win. In fact, he had built a lead of 10 seconds by the 11th lap.

Russell made a positive start for the Mercedes team by overtaking Leclerc to secure second place on the third lap of the race.

However, that was the highlight of the day for the Silver Arrows. On lap 14, Perez overtook Russell at the exit of Turn 4 and then, on the subsequent three laps, Sainz surpassed him to take third place.

Hamilton began the race from the ninth position but was having a tough time moving up in the early stages. He expressed his frustration on the 25th lap, reporting that his seat wasn't in proper condition.

He began moving across the field, overtaking Oscar Piastri from McLaren on the 35th lap and then Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin to secure the seventh position on the 39th lap.

The racer who has won the world championship seven times and will be racing for Ferrari in the future was unable to catch up to Norris before the end of the race. To make matters worse for Mercedes, Leclerc managed to overtake Russell for fourth place with 11 laps remaining.

Verstappen outpaced Hamilton by a margin of 50 seconds.

Verstappen once again demonstrated his exceptional skills, and spectators witnessed impressive fireworks lighting up the sky to celebrate his excellence. He solidified his position as the clear frontrunner to clinch yet another championship win, despite Red Bull's current internal issues.

Verstappen expressed his amazement after snagging his 55th career victory. He stated that the day transpired even better than he imagined and the car felt pleasant to maneuver, attributing to an abundance of speed. Overall, it was an immensely gratifying experience for him.