Max back, but without fear
The first day of free practice of 2024, on the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain, provided some surprises, at least when reading the timesheets. Those who expected Max Verstappen to be already capable of inflicting the 'usual' abysmal gaps on the competition were in fact disappointed. In fact, after apparently 'hiding' in PL1, the Dutch champion also finished in the evening session – more relevant because it was scheduled at the same time as qualifying and the race – only finishing sixth, almost five tenths away from the best time. Lewis Hamilton. However, it should also be noted that Hasselt's #1 made a very solid impression on the race simulations.
No glance at the opponents
“It's not bad. Obviously we are all very close – the three-time world champion from Red Bull commented to the microphones of the official F1 channel – some teams around us have perhaps already raised the engine in terms of maximum speed. We only focus on ourselves. We had some balance problems between the front and rear, but nothing serious. It's about finding the right spot, especially here with the rough asphalt. Once you find the right spot, you save a lot of time.” While yet another chapter of the Horner case erupts in the paddock, Verstappen did not seem upset by what he saw on the track.
Eyes on the race pace rather than on qualifying
“We're not too far away – reasoned the orange champion, whose mind seems focused on the race more than on qualifying – and obviously we also want to focus on the long runs. Qualifying is important, but we want to make sure the car is in good shape for the race. I'm satisfied with the long run, but there are a couple of things we can still improve. I'm not too worried about the gap to first place, but we will all be very close in qualifying, which is positive.”
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