International media after Bahrain GP: "F1 is Formula Verstappen"

Red Bull Racing 's performance in free practice and qualifying in Bahrain gave the competition some hope, but in the race Max Verstappen was unleashed. So was Carlos Sainz, who brutally disposed of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver George Russell. International media called Verstappen's performance ominous.

BBC

"Red Bull's Max Verstappen sent out a chilling message to his Formula 1 rivals with a crushing victory in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix," BBC reports. "He brushed off controversy surrounding his team principal Christian Horner to dominate after a brief challenge at the start from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Verstappen, meanwhile, admitted after taking pole that Horner had been "of course a little bit distracted" but said that the controversy was "not our business" and that he was "focused on the performance". And what a performance it was."

"Verstappen pulled away from his pursuers at an average of around 0.8 seconds a lap to take total control of the race on his way to his 55th grand prix victory. The race was all behind him, as Leclerc struggled in the early laps, frequently locking his front brakes, and coming under pressure from behind. Sainz kept Perez honest, but the Mexican was able to fend off the Spaniard to secure second place and a perfect start to the the season for the world champions.."

Corriere della Sera

The Italian media more often refer to Verstappen as being an alien force and once again this is the case. "For a change, nothing has changed: F1 is still and more than ever Formula Verstappen. Max is reminiscent of the aliens in Robert Silverberg's novel 'The Alien Years': in a dystopian, subjugated world, they do as they please. And every time humans try to rebel, they cause a two-week global blackout and everything is brought back under their control. Verstappen did exactly that," writes Corriere della Sera.

L'Equipe

There is a sense of despair at France's L'Equipe. One praises the otherworldly combination of Verstappen and Red Bull, but fears that the entire F1 season will look like the Bahrain GP, in which the Dutchman was still more than 20 seconds ahead even of teammate Sergio Perez.

"This is a wonderful marriage. It is made to last. Why break up this couple, who found each other so quickly and who want nothing more than this moment, which they hope will last forever? They, not we. Because the union between Max Verstappen and Red Bull is an agony, a nightmare even, for fans of excitement and change," writes the French newspaper.

Marca

Marca praised Verstappen's dominant win, but also praised the "unleashed" Sainz. "Max Verstappen claimed victory at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. It is the 55th of his racing career and the first of many this year. But the star of the day was undoubtedly Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard didn't have a brilliant start, but then he recovered to embark on a brutal climb, completely unleashed, in which he overtook Leclerc twice on the track - the first was beastly - and George Russell, allowing him to capture a podium that will feel like a personal victory for him," says the Spanish newspaper.

The Guardian

"The race pace Red Bull’s opposition had feared, and indeed predicted, the car would have turned out to be all too real. As with last season the car is not at its absolute peak over a single lap but in race trim it is clearly in a different class to the field, in Verstappen’s hands at least," writes The Guardian.

"Moreover they demonstrated it on a track not historically suited to the Red Bull, where they have won only once in the last decade and that was last year, when they duly gave notice they had a formidable ride. This performance issued a forebodingly similar warning," the British newspaper said.