2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Live: Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday is season's opening race.Bahrain Grand Prix 2023, F1 Race Live Updates: The desert track has been barren for the Formula One champion Max Verstappen, who failed to finish three of his first four races there. However, on Sunday, he will have a great opportunity to end his desert drought as he will be starting from the pole in the season-opening race.
Ferrari clinched a 1-2 finish with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and appeared to be Verstappen’s top challengers for last year’s title. But after opening 2022 with two DNFs in three races, Verstappen recovered to win an F1 record 15 races in a dominating year.
Race Leaderboard:
1. Max Verstappen: – (2 pit stops)
2. Sergio Perez: +11.987 (2 pit stops)
3. Fernando Alonso: +38.637 (2 pit stops)
Scroll down to catch all the live action from the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
This was ruthless from Red Bull, and Verstappen was so dominant from start to finish that the TV directors never needed to follow him after the first 10 laps. Looked after the tyres, managed immaculately. A first win in Bahrain, a long-time coming
He will have to share the spotlight with Fernando Alonso today, who will undoubtedly be causing huge excitement among F1 fans. Made the season-opener the contest it needed to be.
Lots of hype for him and Aston Martin this year, and he lived up to it.
Huge drive, those two battles with Hamilton and Sainz were the best moves, and moments of the day.
What a moment!
Not that it was ever in doubt. Verstappen got a good start, opened up a lead and never looked back. Seriously impressive from him and Red Bull. A double world champion going on three.
Perez follows in second, but the biggest storyline is coming behind him...
Over 8 seconds ahead, Alonso is going to step up on the podium for just the second time in 9 years.
This Aston Martin is quick, and Alonso is looking refreshed, and brilliant.
No need to pay attention to the Dutchman. 10 seconds ahead, in cruise control mode. Easy wins are becoming a habit now.
Undoubtedly disappointing for Mercedes. Unable to take advantage of the pressure Sainz was under, could not make the overtake happen as he leaved DRS range.
Things are about to get worse for Ferrari and Saniz, as Hamilton is now on his feels for fourth place.
Hamilton is within DRS range, but yet to get close enough to make a move. A nervy finish for the Spaniard now.
After one Ferrari DNFs, Sainz is trying to ensure the podium, but Alonso smelled blood.
He pushed Sainz to the brink with DRS, and despite breaking late and going flat out, he handled it well enough - even though he made very slight contact - and completed the overtake.
Vintage Alonso. Simply too good of a wheel-to-wheel racer. Even at the nimble age of 41.
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Started his first race with new team Alpine last on the grid, and is now in the points in 9th!
Strange race for his teammate Esteban Ocon, who retires after a string of weird penalties. A mess.
Alonso, Sainz, and Hamilton now fighting for the last podium place.
The battle of the day, surely.
Oh, not again Charles.
As if nothing has changed since last year, Charles Leclerc, who has had a very respectable race despite having a much slower car than Red Bull, will retire as his power unit seems to have failed.
Frustration for the Monegasque.
Goes around the outside, bluffs a great move before diving down the inside line, and taking the lead.
Great overtaking, and great defence. Surely there is more to come from the battle between the veterans.
Just like their first fight, 16 years ago, as teammates, a blockbuster battle between the two drivers for fifth.
Alonso has been brilliant all day, and he briefly overtook Hamilton with a gutsy dive down the inside. The Brit had a similar move up his sleeve, forcing Alonso to lock up as he fearlessly took the apex and took the inside line, and the lead.
This is, as expected, a brilliant advertisement for motor racing.
If you're just switching on, and seeing Verstappen 37 seconds ahead, the shock is understandable.
Of course it is because he is late to pit, which will come out now, but it perfectly summarises this race...
No surprises here, Verstappen flexed his muscles, and Perez laid back.
The Mexican has come into the pits.
Undercut has worked here, as Stroll comfortably overtakes Russell with DRS.
Aston Martin are beating Mercedes two for two here. Remarkable.
Undercut fears are on, as Hamilton's pit is followed immediately by Stroll. Interesting battle between fifth and eighth between Mercedes and Aston Martin.
He's consistently lapping better than Verstappen at the moment, as the Dutchman complains of degradation on his tyres.
That 13-second lead, though, seems truly unassailable.
The Red Bulls have committed to a two-stopper, starting on the softs and pitting to softs again.
Ferrari went for a long-haul strategy, pitting for hards. But Leclerc's tyres seem to have more degradation, which may well result in yet another strategic blunder for the Scuderia.
Perez, in DRS range, did an easy overtake over Leclerc, who wanted to bite back on the next turn, but went too far behind.
Leclerc had DRS on Perez soon after, but it was too late, and Perez will now be vying to open up a gap, ensuring a Red Bull one-two.
Almost within a second on Leclerc now, Perez is finding brilliant pace while Leclerc - on the hard tyres - means he has gone for the long game.
Could be set for a battle for second.
He's shortened the gap to about 2 seconds now, and every Leclerc slip up, there have been a few lock-ups in the last few laps, is being preyed on.
The Mexican will be in the Ferrari rear-view mirror soon.
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