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What we learnt from Formula One’s season-opener in Bahrain — and why Fernando Alonso and his Aston Martin crew sported some of the widest smiles on the paddock

With the dust settling on Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, The Hindu looks at the major talking points from Sakhir and what they could portend for the rest of 2023.

The 2023 Red Bull is an evolution of the 2022 car that won both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. It was the class of the field and enjoyed a significant advantage towards the end of the year, clinching both titles relatively easily.

In pre-season testing, the car was quick and racked up mileage without major trouble. Although Max Verstappen complained during Friday’s practice that the car was not as good as it had been during testing, the team worked overnight and sorted things out for Saturday’s qualifying.

Last year, the Red Bull was better on race day than in qualifying, but Verstappen comfortably took pole position in Bahrain with a three-tenths advantage over the next best car — the Ferrari driven by Charles Leclerc, who was third.

The reigning champion duly cruised to victory, leading a 1-2 for Red Bull with Sergio Perez second; it was a statement win but an even more pressing concern for rivals was the 38-second gap between Verstappen and third-placed Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin.

Over a 57-lap race distance, this equates to an advantage of almost seven-tenths of a second per lap. While a considerable gap in itself, what might give the other team principals nightmares is the fact that the Red Bulls were not even at full tilt towards the end.