Bahrain Grand Prix: Verstappen Wins 2023 Formula 1 Opener, Fernando Alonso Shine, Leclerc, Hamilton Struggle

• Max Verstappen finally won in Bahrain on his 9th visit to begin his title defence in emphatic fashion
• Red Bull had a field day at the Sakhir circuit as Charles Leclerc was forced to retire
• Fernando Alonso had an equally good outing with his new crew at Aston Martin

Max Verstappen declared his intentions of winning a third consecutive Formula 1 title after leading a dominant race at the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 05.

Verstappen led from almost start to finish to show a 1-2 Red Bull finish on a night where Fernando Alonso impressed in his new Aston Martin.

Ferrari suffered the same old problems after Charles Leclerc was forced to retire due to engine problems. Leclerc won the opening race last season in Bahrain and was set for a podium finish before the huge setback.

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Mclaren also suffered a similar fate, with Oscar Piastri becoming the first driver to quit. Alpine's Esteban Ocon also retired. Ocon had a frustrating evening altogether after accumulating a couple of penalties due to wrong positioning on the grid.

Leclerc's retirement paved the way for Fernando Alonso to surge forward behind the two Red Bull drivers. Alonso rekindled his warm rivalry with Lewis Hamilton on his way to fourth place before beating Carlos Sainz to get into the podium places.

With Mercedes Team principal Toto Wolff admitting that his side might struggle again this season, the onus will be on Alonso and Aston Martin to take the fight to Red Bull's and Ferrari's doorstep. Alonso is a two-time Formula 1 winner. His teammate Lance Stroll beat Hmailton's teammate George Rusell to 6th place.

Ferrari and Mercedes will now regroup ahead of the second race of the season on March 19 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.

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2023 Formula 1 season review

Sports Brief had earlier given a breakdown of what to expect in the 2023 season after every team has unveiled the car they will use for the upcoming season; the 2023 Formula 1 season is ready to get underway.

From Mercedes' W14 car to Red Bull's RB14, the 2023 season is promising to be an exciting prospect with a lot of storylines to look out for.

Will Lewis Hamilton win a record eighth title, or will Max Verstappen become only the fourth driver after Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher to win three consecutive titles?