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Reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen started the season in style, leading from start to finish in Bahrain
Max Verstappen dominated the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, leading from pole position to the checkered flag to give Red Bull a dream start to their 2023 Formula One campaign.
The Dutchman cruised to his first-ever season-opener win, crossing the line with a comfortable lead of almost 12 seconds over his teammate Sergio Perez, who finished second.
Verstappen's victory marked his 36th career F1 win, and he looks set to mount a serious challenge for a third consecutive world championship title this season.
The Red Bull driver's win was all the more impressive given that he had started the race with a heavy fuel load and was able to manage his tires and pace to perfection.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso put in a dazzling performance to take third place on the podium for the resurgent Aston Martin team.
The Spaniard, a two-time world champion, made a series of daring overtakes during the race, including a stunning move on Lewis Hamilton, to finish ahead of the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and George Russell.
Alonso's teammate Lance Stroll also had a strong race, despite having undergone surgery on his wrist just a week ago. The Canadian driver finished in fifth place, ahead of Russell, who was unable to make much of an impression in his underperforming Mercedes W14 car.
The race got off to a dramatic start when Stroll clumsily collided with Alonso, sending the Aston Martin driver sideways and allowing Russell to pass both drivers.
Verstappen, however, was able to hold his pole advantage on the run to Turn 1, with Charles Leclerc running in second place ahead of Perez and Carlos Sainz. By lap 10, Verstappen had built up a lead of over six seconds over Leclerc, with Perez a further 1.5 seconds back.
Sainz was already a distant fourth, with Hamilton having made an impressive start to run in fifth place.
Hamilton pitted on lap 13, with Alonso attacking Russell and taking fifth place through the Turns 4 to 6 sequence. Leclerc and Sainz stopped a lap later, with Russell suffering a slow left-rear tire change.
Verstappen made his first pit stop on lap 15, taking on more soft tires, and was able to run his tires longer than anyone else during the race.
He switched to hards on lap 36 for his final stint and was able to cruise to victory, with Perez well behind in second place.
Alonso, meanwhile, had a thrilling battle with Hamilton for fifth place, with the Spaniard ultimately coming out on top after a bold move at Turn 10.
He then set his sights on the podium and quickly caught up with Sainz, passing his compatriot at Turn 11 after a wheel-to-wheel fight.
Leclerc suffered a crushing power failure with 17 laps remaining, costing him third place and causing a brief virtual safety car.
Alonso's third-place finish was a fantastic recovery for Aston Martin, with both drivers having lost positions and made contact on the opening lap.
Valtteri Bottas was the best of the rest for Alfa Romeo, finishing in ninth place ahead of Pierre Gasly in the Alpine and the impressive Alex Albon for Williams.
Gasly's new teammate, Esteban Ocon, had a race from hell, receiving three separate penalties before retiring from the race.
The Formula One season resumes in a fortnight on Sunday, March 19 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
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