00:00Our journey around the world to crown a champion is going to start in a few moments time.
00:08Green flag at the back. Formula One in 2024 begins when the five red lights go out.
00:14The new season is underway and it's a good reaction time for Max Verstappen.
00:20Little bit of a wiggle when he applied the power for the second part of the start,
00:24but he maintains the lead. Charles Leclerc trying to go around the outside.
00:27How brave is he feeling? He's not. He's in second place.
00:30And it's Sergio Perez who finds himself in fourth. George Russell is in third place.
00:34The spinner was Lance Stroll in the background for Aston Martin.
00:37It's Max Verstappen with the lead. Who will be second?
00:40There's damage to one of the Salvers in the background there, falling to the back of the field.
00:44I believe it's Valtteri Bottas. Side by side, the two McLarens go.
00:48Verstappen, then Leclerc, Russell being harried and it's Lando Norris who was ahead of his teammate.
00:53So that's Hulkenberg. He's cleared and then they're going to have contact.
00:57Oh, that's all on Hulkenberg, isn't it? Just drifted into the back and completely rear-ended Stroll.
01:04Great getaway from Valtteri. There you can see Hulkenberg.
01:07And I think, does he touch the back of Hulkenberg as well?
01:11That is a pass for position. That is Lando Norris getting past Fernando Alonso.
01:15Alonso pleasantly surprised yesterday that the green Aston Martin was quick over one lap,
01:20but he was worried. This is George Russell trying to go all the way around the outside and get past
01:25Charles Leclerc.
01:26And he'll do so. What a way to start your season, George Russell, with a fine move.
01:33The McLarens have steadily passed Fernando Alonso. Lando did it a while ago.
01:37This is Oscar Piastri sneaking up the inside on the previous lap.
01:41He draws alongside the Scala Ferrari. Leclerc has been driving on his mirrors time and time and time again.
01:48And to the inside, car 11 at turn 11. Perez improves. He's up to third place.
01:53And this is going to be how Sergio Perez got past.
01:56It's going to be a lockup. There it is. He got so close to Russell, actually, Leclerc.
02:00But he's kept doing that lockup in these opening laps and he's done it again on lap seven.
02:06Lewis Hamilton is in the slipstream of Fernando Alonso. These two had a great battle here last year.
02:12There is no battle this year. Hamilton getting past and Alonso's fears about the race pace are proving correct.
02:19Two Ferraris about to do battle. Monza all over again. Look at that. Sparks flying as the teammates go wheel
02:27to wheel.
02:28To the inside, Carlos Sainz. Charles Leclerc refusing to give it up, but he's got no choice.
02:34And that was elbows out brilliance from Carlos Sainz. Sainz has been called in.
02:41There is the one move you're allowed to make. Perez knows what's coming.
02:45Tries the up and under. Applies the power. Super aggressive stuff.
02:49And position gained for Sergio Perez, who moves in to a net second place in the race.
02:56Leclerc's also got ahead of Sainz in the pit stop phase. That's an interesting call from Ferrari
03:01to invert the cars effectively by pitting Leclerc first and giving him the undercut over his teammate.
03:06That's a late lunge and a half. My word. From downtown to take the place of Carlos Sainz. He came
03:14from another postcode.
03:16I love it. I love it. I love to see drivers having the confidence to send it on the brakes.
03:21And if you want to win races and you want to win championships, you've got to have that kind of
03:25bravery.
03:27Oh, another chance. Here we go. Big sparks flying down into turn number one.
03:32Carlos Sainz has the fastest half of the Grand Prix. He's got the bit between his teeth.
03:36He's got all the racing cliches that you want. But either way, he is driving in a way at this
03:41circuit
03:41that we've never seen from him before. It's been the Charles Leclerc show in the past.
03:45That is a rocket ship move. Say goodbye to Carlos Sainz because he's going to go and chase the Red
03:51Bulls.
03:52This is how he was able to take the place.
03:54No fight at all from the Alpine. Waving him through. It's a sorry state of affairs for Alpine.
04:00Not least qualifying on the back row. They're not even putting up a fight with an RB.
04:05Horrible pit stop for Valtteri Bottas. He's been there for 39 seconds as they tried to get wrong tire.
04:13Where have we gone here? Is that the nut being delivered? So that's the nut back to the gun.
04:18And this is game over no matter what happens. So pit stops. This is one of greater consequence in the
04:25Grand Prix.
04:26George Russell coming in nice and early, getting another set of the hard tires. Bottas.
04:31That's reminiscent of the nightmare he had in Monaco a few years ago. 52 seconds and race ruined.
04:39The Scuderia get out ahead of Lando Norris, who was the threat there.
04:44And it's very close in the background. And is it going to be a position gained?
04:48Piastri dives to the inside. Claims the place. Off the road. Tires are cold. Hamilton takes it.
04:54By the time they get to turn number two, and it's eighth position for the Mercedes driver.
05:00This next little section we're quite telling, because he's quite close to George.
05:03Can he get away with turn 10 without any under rotation? Yes, he can, but no, George Russell can't.
05:09George Russell off the road. Charles Leclerc will join him side by side.
05:14But with the inside line heading into turn 11, and all of that hard work, lap after lap after lap,
05:21pays off.
05:22The Ferrari is up to fourth place in the season opener Grand Prix, and Charles Leclerc finds a way by.
05:31The green Aston Martins on the main straight, and that swap of position for the drivers, two-time world champion,
05:38and driver who's won here before.
05:40The only driver in the field who was racing here in 2004 in the first Grand Prix in Bahrain.
05:45That is still on the grid today, and he's up tonight.
05:49Yuki, driver, swap. Driver, swap.
05:52Are you kidding me now?
05:54So Yuki doesn't love that idea. We're talking about working with the senior team. They've got to work with their
05:58own drivers at the moment.
06:01So Ricciardo knows that. There it is. Yeah, there we go.
06:03Opens the door. Ricciardo goes through. Tsunoda listening to the team instructions.
06:09Yeah, thanks guys. I appreciate it.
06:12Tsunoda didn't love the team instruction, and he's not being shy in reporting it.
06:16The Dutch driver continues his domination of Formula One. New year, but no new winner.
06:25Max Verstappen, still the driver to beat. Max Verstappen wins the season opener.
06:30He takes the Bahrain Grand Prix, and Max Verstappen is lighting up a trail once again.
06:37Red Bull expected. Red Bull delivered.
06:39And Perez comes across the line to make it a great day for Red Bull.
06:44They're one and two across the line.
06:46Chased home by Carlos Sainz, who put together a superb performance.
06:51Down at turn one with overtake after overtake.
06:54He'll be satisfied.
06:56And the celebrations are underway.
06:59It was always likely to be Red Bull, but that is a statement drive of 57 laps.
07:05Not attack all the time, but when he did need to attack.
07:08Max Verstappen underlined in block caps again.
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