"Without Alonso, Formula 1 for Verstappen could have been just any race from the past year" [VIDEO]

After many preseason bravado, Bahrain has made it clear that nothing has changed in what seems to be another monotonous season of Formula 1, thanks to Red Bull's even more dominant performance over the other cars on the grid.

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The house of the winged bull built an impeccable 1-2 finish and has told everyone that they are the top candidates to defend their 2022 crowns. A resounding victory that was one of the team's biggest pending achievements in recent years. Since 2013, Red Bull had not celebrated on the desert podium, back when races were held during the day and Vettel defended the purple car, while Verstappen - who has won almost everything in recent years - had not yet established himself as the reigning champion on the asphalt river in Sakhir. In the face of this display of authority, the big question that everyone is asking is whether we are facing another monotonous season.

In these times of reality shows and social media, of multiple screens and a new generation of fans that has arrived to F1, a category without duels is destined to drastically reduce the attention of new enthusiasts.

No marketing strategy works with a boring product that offers no novelty. What makes a sport appealing is the unexpected, the unpredictable, the element of surprise, and this seems to be exactly what the sport is losing.

At least Bahrain has been a warning of this, and this is how sports betting houses have taken it, now paying 1.66 to 1 for Max's new title and a distant 5 to 1 for Leclerc's. Behind, almost 50" from the first position, the duel has been characterized by the expected resurgence of Fernando Alonso with Aston Martin. Since the training sessions and previous tests, he had shown himself as the surprise, and at the time of the green light, he met the expectations.

In a season that seems to have no surprises, the resurrection of the Spaniard (who is on the verge of retirement) appears to be the secondary story that we all want to see unfold to save us from monotony. In this sense, his great overtaking maneuver against Hamilton was the most emotional moment of a weekend without major surprises.

If it weren't for Alonso, it could have been any race from last year: Red Bull dominating everyone, Lewis missing the days when he had a competitive car, and Leclerc leaving the hotel early due to another retirement from the race. Binotto was missing, and it could be the summer of 2022 again.