Fernando Alsono
How long will it take before the sticky rose water that Bahrain sprays instead of champagne washes out of your hair? Fernando Alonso could also leave it in as a lasting memory after his big comeback night. It would prove to him that he actually finished third in race one with Aston Martin, which the Spaniard himself thought was “unreal”. At 41, at the start of his 20th Formula 1 season, it is his 99th visit to the podium.
British racing green seems to be the new complementary colour, finally the man who won his two world championship titles against Michael Schumacher had the right instinct when changing teams. Sebastian Vettel, his predecessor, must be annoyed green. With Alonso’s drive forward, that is old school racing back, celebrated against Lewis Hamilton and in a generational duel with compatriot Carlos Sainz junior. For the time being, the alpha animal is tame: “The car is wonderful to drive. The last time I was at Ferrari was so happy and competitive at the start of the season – and that was ten years ago.”
Lance Stroll
How the Canadian managed the prescribed exit test from the narrow cockpit in twelve seconds after his bicycle accident with two damaged wrists (at least one of them patched with screws) and a broken toe can only be explained with superhuman strength or an extremely high pain tolerance. After training, he had to be lifted out of the car.
The fact that the 24-year-old, who was sometimes unable to grip the steering wheel properly, was able to qualify without any mistakes and also deliver a very decent race with sixth place, is the rehabilitation for many years in which he was ridiculed as a daddy’s child and a billionaire’s son . For so long he had hoped for a strong car, then an Alonso as a rival in the team – taking sick leave would have been an early capitulation. “Apart from the pain, it was fun,” said Stroll junior. “The last 20 laps were the toughest. Because even with adrenaline, broken bones still hurt.”
Max Verstappen
All he wants to do is play, and if it helps Formula 1 morale a little, symbolically driving with the handbrake on – if you please, that could also be one of the representative tasks of a title defender. During the test drives at the same place, Red Bull Racing had already practiced restraint. In the race, their opponents made it even easier for them, which is why there is a lot of corporate whining in Maranello and Brackley. Red Bull had not won in Bahrain for ten years, Vettel celebrated the last win at the start in 2011.
But this time it was enough for a double success, and who knows what else is up our sleeve. “We’re not used to such a start,” said Verstappen, who was eliminated in the same place last year – and was looking forward to welcoming Alonso as a real challenger in the world championship fight. After Verstappen’s relaxed night drive from pole position, pilot George Russell would rather bet that the world champion would win all World Championship races this year. Last year there were only 15…
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg had hoped for another “big hit”, like his tenth place in qualifying, when he came back as a regular driver. The 57 laps in the rocky desert in the Haas-Ferrari were more of a non-starter. The 15th place, still behind his teammate Kevin Magnussen, was also only slightly better than what his predecessor Mick Schumacher could deliver in the smallest team in Formula 1.
But the successor sold it better. The 35-year-old didn’t have to lament too much about a damaged front wing right at the beginning and severe tire degradation, he turned the messed-up race into a positive, which it certainly was for his own self-confidence: “I was able to eat up kilometers and learn.” He saved his fighting strength for more promising ventures, after all he had shown that after three years as a reserve he can basically keep up with the regular drivers. Team boss Günther Steiner also confirmed himself: “It really wasn’t that bad.”
Charles Leclerc
For a moment, the TV viewer had to think that a repeat from the previous year had been brought in. But it was actually the 41st lap in the current race when the Ferrari rolled out without engine power and an incredulously shrill “No, nooo, nooooooooo” could be heard on the audio track. New season, old misery. “What’s going on guys?” he asked, his voice trailing off. Last year’s winner and the unreliability of the technology, it seems to be a curse. Of course he must feel left alone.
The fact that Carlos Sainz junior was not able to keep the third place he inherited and was easy prey for Alonso fitted into the picture of the weakness that Ferrari mainly blamed on the particularly high tire wear in Bahrain. For the new team boss Frédéric Vasseur a real drama at the start: “It came out of nowhere.” Illustrated by the gesture with which Piero Ferrari, old Enzo’s grandson, took off his headphones in the garage. That had something of resignation. Race one of 23 – and the Scuderia is already in the red again.
Lewis Hamilton
There weren’t any better duels in Bahrain than the three attempts at attack and defense made by the old masters Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. A pure pleasure, unfortunately also a rather short one. Finishing fifth was a great achievement from Hamilton. Because Mercedes is not in shape again, and the record world champion had already felt it on the first exit: “The car is not lively enough. We weren’t even close to the Red Bulls.”
For his superior Toto Wolff, the concept with the emaciated side boxes is already dead. It only unnecessarily continues the suffering of the previous year, one has allowed oneself to be misled. The Austrian, who had crossed his arms in front of his chest for the entire race, spoke of the “plague” and announced: “We will turn the car upside down.” But that costs time and money, both of which are scarce. The fact that the secret favorite Aston Martin is half a Mercedes makes matters even more embarrassing.
Pierre Gasly
Unloved and dissatisfied, Pierre Gasly left the Red Bull talent group Alpha Tauri. Lured by the Alpine racing team, Renault’s sports department. For the chance to compete in a French national racing team, the now 27-year-old even accepted Esteban Ocon as a teammate, even though the two original friends had fallen out badly. Starting position 20, i.e. last, was definitely not the return that Gasly had imagined.
But then he persistently worked his way up to ninth place – the first World Championship points in the pink racing car. How he did what he was able to learn from it corresponds to the basic mantra of his profession: “You mustn’t lose confidence in your racing car.” But of course he knows that there is still a lot of work ahead of him. Colleague Ocon moved to the end of those who had finished – with three time penalties for various offenses, starting with illegal parking in the start box. One smiles, the other is the laughing stock.