by Max Verstappen duly claimed pole for the opening race of the new Formula One season at the Bahrain Grand Prix but the focus under the floodlights and palm trees remained as it had been all week on Verstappen’s team principal Christian Horner , and his Red Bull. team.
With all the turmoil and drama that has surrounded Red Bull, this was a valuable reminder that they are famous as a sporting entity for all the chaos that currently surrounds their main purpose in racing.
In the first run of the season when the gloves truly came off, Red Bull had the advantage that the opposition expected and feared. A car that had a terrible dominance last year evolved and aggressively changed the pack several times.
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Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari into second by two tenths and George Russell’s Mercedes into third by three tenths. Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari, Sergio Pérez fifth for Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton ninth for Mercedes.
Red Bull had not been on top in practice but had battled to get it right when it mattered and Verstappen duly delivered. It wasn’t the full lead that was expected but the gap is still huge, considering the strength of the car in the race pace.
Verstappen showed his true hand on the first run in Q3 with a strong lap, which he then improved as the circuit rolled in, improving by three tenths to a 1min 29.179sec clocking, enough to claim pole from Leclerc. Notably, however, this was on a track that is hard on the tires and has not suited Red Bull well in the past, making it an ominous marker. Indeed, Leclerc and Russell admitted they feared Verstappen would run and hide from pole on Saturday.
But for all that Red Bull has done it has been the backdrop of an almost surreal tenor across the Bahrain International Circuit. On the side of the road for fans there was still an air of easy enjoyment from a day out at the race amidst the famous dance music; the quieter, but almost intimate, febrile atmosphere of the Paddock was far away, a world where the mood grows heavier with each passing day of the week.
By Friday when rumors swirled about another potential leak that purported to be from the Horner investigation but never materialized, racing could not be understood as a sideshow at best. On Wednesday, Horner was cleared of an independent investigation following a complaint about his behavior by a female employee. Then the first alleged leak of messages regarding the investigation fell on Thursday early into the final practice session, when Hamilton was closing the top of the time sheets and missed what would have been a minor headline moment.
It’s the same all week. Camera crews were doing all their presentations in front of the hospitality team, guests sipping coffee in the background and the occasional crew member providing set dressing for speculation and in front of the lenses.
When Horner emerged to make the short walk to the garage for Friday’s final practice session, cameras and microphones included, he was hit by the questions he had faced during the week and only reiterated what he insists would never happen. . comment on events.
Team members did their best to ensure it was business as usual, lead engineer Paul “Pedals” Monaghan offering his usual relaxed attitude, laughing and smiling with his colleagues. Verstappen, who twice declined when asked on Wednesday to offer his confidence and support to Horner, before the investigation’s verdict was announced, remained very much in driver mode.
His game face was on, as it is regardless of the circumstances, but he, like everyone in the Paddock, will have been affected by the events of the past few days since it was impossible to ignore. Verstappen took part and showed the usual precision action to claim pole but he seems to be trying to stay detached from it at all as it could still have a seismic effect on his team and the man who was central to it. brought into F1 itself when it was still. only 17 years old.
But for others in the paddock it was becoming increasingly impossible to stand down and the pressure to act is growing every day. Both the FIA and F1 have been hosting a series of relentless inquiries into their position and potential action, since parent company Red Bull declared the case closed, said it would not make any information about the investigation public and refused to comment on its no more.
Both bodies insisted they could not speak or act until they had been given access to evidence from the Red Bull investigation. It is doubtful how long they can maintain this position. It was clear that other senior figures within the Paddock know this is detrimental to the sport and not only want it resolved but resolved in a publicly accountable way, adding to the undeniable sense that Horner and his team in collaboration with each other. overwhelmed even as they open with the perfect start.
Fernando Alonso was sixth for Aston Martin, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were seventh and eighth for McLaren and Nico Hülkenberg was tenth for Haas.
Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were 11th and 14th for RB, Lance Stroll 12th for Aston Martin, Alex Albon 13th for Williams and Kevin Magnussen 15th for Haas.
Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou were 16th and 17th for Stake F1, Logan Sargeant 18th for Williams, while the Alpine’s poor pre-season form was confirmed in no uncertain terms with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in 19th and 20th.
