F1 season opens with Verstappen in ‘a special galaxy’

Max Verstappen couldn’t have hoped for a greater begin to his bid for a fourth-consecutive Formula One title, with even rivals hailing his crushingly dominant show in Saturday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix as being in “a different galaxy”.

The Dutch driver took the chequered flag 22.4 seconds away from his teammate Sergio Perez driving the same RB20.

He did it having began from pole, led each lap and with the quickest lap to finish a ‘grand slam’.

“Unbelievable, I think today went even better than expected,” stated Verstappen.

“It was quite a lot of enjoyable, I felt actually good within the automotive.

“It’s special to have these kind of days, where it all feels perfect and you feel at one with the car.”

An in depth-run qualifying on Friday and a relentless altering of the guard in apply, with three completely different groups occupying prime spot within the three periods and none of them Red Bull, had raised the prospect of a closer-run race on Saturday.

The seemingly untroubled ease of Verstappen’s win within the first race of a file 24-round season swiftly dashed these hopes, as a substitute giving approach to a way of resignation and foreboding.

The 26-year-old, barely breaking a sweat as he obtained out of the automotive, had equally gained final yr’s Bahrain season-opener from pole.

But that wasn’t as commanding as his win on Saturday, along with his successful margin then half what it was this yr and no quickest lap.

Nevertheless, it set the stage for Verstappen to log off 2023 with 19 wins from 22 races.

With his Red Bull tougher to catch, a minimum of on the proof of the 2024 season opener, there may be each risk he may go higher.

Rivals aren’t ruling out the prospect.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stated when requested if Verstappen may very well be uncatchable. “(We) simply should acknowledge his efficiency ranges are actually robust.

“I think today Max is not in a different league but he’s in a different galaxy — the performance is extraordinary.”