Verstappen can put defeat into perspective: Best season start ever in F1

It was of course very disappointing for Max Verstappen that he didn't take victory on Sunday, despite being the strongest all weekend in Bahrain. Still, the Dutchman doesn't have to grieve too much, because this was his best start of the season ever.

It is already his seventh season in Formula 1, and after the Bahrain Grand Prix this looks to be the season where Verstappen will finally be able to compete for the world title. Verstappen has never had a car to really challenge Mercedes, but that seems to be the case this year.

Best start for Verstappen

The season is still long, so Verstappen and Red Bull Racing will have to work hard to keep up with Mercedes for a year, but the start of the season is promising. Verstappen was on pole this early in the season, and the margin in qualifying was also impressive.

That Verstappen lost the race to Hamilton was annoying, but it was still Verstappen's best start to the season in Formula 1. His best start so far was in 2019 in Australia, when he finished third. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 he finished tenth, fifth and sixth respectively, where in 2015 and 2020 he crashed out in the first race. Whether the best start of the season will also lead to a world title remains to be seen.