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.
00:38It'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.
00:58Oh, 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 and I think,
01:08does 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.
01:34The 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.
01:42He draws alongside the Scarlet 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.
02:01But he's kept doing that lockup in these opening laps. 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.
02:20Two 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 Albozell 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, tries the up and under,
02:46applies the power. Super aggressive stuff and position games for Sergio Perez,
02:52who 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 from 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. Carlos Sainz has the
03:34fastest half of the Grand Prix. He's got the bit between his teeth. He's got all the racing cliches
03:38that you want. But either way, he is driving in a way at this circuit that we've never seen from
03:43him before. It's been the Charles Leclerc show in the past. That is a rocket ship move. Say goodbye to
03:48Carlos Sainz because he's going to go and chase the Red Bulls. This is how he was able to take
03:54the place.
03:54No fight at all from Alpine. Waving him through. It's a sorry state of affairs for Alpine. Not
04:01least qualifying on the back row. They're not even putting up a fight with an RB. Horrible pit stop for
04:07Valtteri Bottas. He's been there for 39 seconds as they tried to get wrong tire. Where have we gone here?
04:15Is that the nut being delivered? So that's the nut back to the gun. And this is game over,
04:21no matter what happens. So pit stops, this is one of greater consequence in the Grand Prix. George
04:26Russell coming in nice and early, getting another set of the hard tires. Bottas, that's reminiscent of
04:32the 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. And it's very close in the
04:45background. And is it going to be a position gained? Piastri dives to the inside. Claims the
04:51place. Off the road. Tires are cold. Hamilton takes it. By the time they get to turn number two,
04:57and it's eighth position for the Mercedes driver. This next little section we're quite telling,
05:02but he's quite close to George. Can he get away with turn 10 without any under rotation? Yes, he can,
05:08but no, George Russell can't. George Russell off the road. Charles Leclerc will join him side by
05:14side. But with the inside line heading into turn 11, and all of that hard work, lap after lap after
05:21lap,
05:21pays off. The Ferrari is up to fourth place in the season opener Grand Prix, and Charles Leclerc finds a
05:29way by.
05:31The green Aston Martins on the main straight, and that swap of position for the drivers two-time world
05:37champion and driver who's won here before. The only driver in the field who was racing here in 2004,
05:43in the first Grand Prix in Bahrain, that is still on the grid today, and he's up tonight.
05:49Yuki driver swap. Driver swap. Are you kidding me now? So Yuki doesn't love that idea. We're talking
05:56about working with the senior team. They've got to work with their own drivers at the moment.
06:00So Riccardo knows the... There it is. Yeah, there we go. Opens the door. Riccardo goes through.
06:06Tsunoda listening to the team instructions. Yeah, thanks guys. I appreciate it. Tsunoda didn't love the team
06:13instruction, and he's not being shy in reporting it. The Dutch driver continues his domination of Formula
06:22One. New year, but no new winner. Max Verstappen still the driver to beat. Max Verstappen wins the
06:29season opener. He takes the Bahrain Grand Prix, and Max Verstappen is lighting up a trail once again.
06:37Red Bull expected. Red Bull delivered. And Perez comes across the line to make it a great day for Red
06:44Bull.
06:44They're one and two across the line. Chased home by Carlos Sainz, who put together a superb performance.
06:51Down at turn one with overtake after overtake. He'll be satisfied. And the celebrations are underway.
06:59It was always likely to be Red Bull, but that is a statement drive of 57 laps of non-attack
07:06all the time.
07:07But when he did need to attack, Max Verstappen underlined in block caps again.
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