Max Verstappen produced a dominant efficiency to win the season-opening race final Saturday, ending 22.4 seconds forward of team-mate Sergio Perez and 25.1 seconds away from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
The dimensions of Crimson Bull’s race-pace benefit has served as a blow to the opposition who hoped that the closeness of qualifying had pointed to a extra compact discipline this yr.
However Crimson Bull workforce principal Christian Horner thinks that Bahrain didn’t supply a transparent image of issues as a result of his workforce was on a special tyre technique to the opposition.
The allocation it had for the race meant it used a tender tyre for the ultimate stint, fairly than the laborious everybody else had, and he thinks that exaggerated the gaps at an occasion that was cooler than regular.
“You possibly can’t learn an excessive amount of right into a single occasion, due to the character of the circuit, the temperature, and the truth that we’re capable of carry over a tender tyre into the race,” defined Horner.
“We had been shocked that others did not do [that]. It type of distorted, maybe, the again finish of the stint. However nonetheless, it was a dominant show and nice to get that most rating.”
However regardless of Horner pondering that issues are nearer than they seem, main rivals have a special opinion.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff mentioned: “I believe Max shouldn’t be in a special league, however is in a special galaxy. The efficiency is extraordinary.”
Requested if he felt that pointed to Crimson Bull profitable all of the races, Wolff mentioned: “Sadly sure. You simply want to simply acknowledge his efficiency ranges are actually very sturdy.”
Toto Wolff, Group Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
Horner doesn’t agree that Crimson Bull is to date forward, and he reckons that the image from Bahrain really factors to a much bigger risk to his workforce.
“I am sorry that it wasn’t a extra entertaining race for you, however that’s the results of the workforce doing its job and producing an unbelievable automobile,” he mentioned.
“Now we have a pattern of 1 race and I’ve the sensation that the sector goes to concertina this yr. So I do not assume you possibly can take something with no consideration out of this one race on a selected floor, particular circumstances.
“I have been on this enterprise too lengthy to attract too many conclusions from a single race. It is a improbable begin and we take pleasure in this second.
“However it’s an extended season, many alternative venues, completely different challenges, completely different circumstances. And what we noticed within the testing is issues are nearer.
“We received it proper this weekend. We took the correct tyres into the race. We executed an ideal race with each automobiles and we received a terrific end. However I believe that it’ll converge.”
