P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Verstappen: Bahrain F1 GP "couldn’t have gone better"
The reigning three-time world champion had a stellar start defending his title, achieving a maximum score in the race. Leading from start to finish, he also secured the bonus point for setting the fastest lap. Beating his teammate Sergio Perez by a significant 22.4 seconds, and Carlos Sainz by 2.5 seconds, Max Verstappen expressed his delight with the race, feeling completely in sync with his RB20 car. Verstappen described the Grand Prix as surpassing his expectations, praising the handling and pace of his car on different tire compounds. For him, the flawless race was both enjoyable and trouble-free, leading to a perfect start to the season. Verstappen particularly emphasized the rarity of feeling so connected to the car and having everything fall into place so smoothly during a race day. Sergio Perez, finishing second, regarded it as a challenging but valuable race for learning about tire management and strategizing for future races in the championship. Overall, both drivers were satisfied with their performance and the team’s start to the season.
