Context and weekend notes
Bahrain opened the season with Red Bull in control again, but Ferrari and Mercedes showed more pace than they had at the same stage a year earlier.
Qualifying summary
Verstappen beat Leclerc and Russell to pole, with Sainz and Perez locking out the next row.
Race key events
Verstappen converted pole into a straightforward win, Perez brought Red Bull home second, and Sainz held off the Mercedes pair for the final podium spot.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Gap | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:31:44.742 | 26 |
| 2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | +22.457s | 18 |
| 3 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +25.110s | 15 |
Technical/strategy highlights
The key story was race management: Red Bull kept clean track position and Verstappen's fastest lap added the bonus point.
Post-race and impact
The opener reaffirmed Verstappen as the early favourite and gave Red Bull a clean start to the title defence.
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