Although Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix by 22 seconds, Oscar Piastri has reiterated his belief that Red Bull aren’t as quick as first feared.
Max Verstappen disregarded his handling and shift problems encountered during the practice sessions in Bahrain, and instead showcased his exceptional skills during the crucial moments of qualifying and the Grand Prix.
‘But maybe still not quite as far ahead as we first feared…’
With a remarkable score of 26 points, the current World Champion secured the top spot on the grid, dominated the race from start to finish, and set the quickest lap time during the Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton confidently stated that “they will dominate for a considerable period of time,” whereas his teammate George Russell expressed his belief that no one will pose a challenge to Max Verstappen for the championship this year.
However, amidst the pessimism within the Mercedes team, McLaren’s Piastri sees a glimmer of hope. He believes that Red Bull is not as far ahead as their competitors had anticipated based on the results of pre-season testing.
He expressed his honest opinion, saying that the race turned out to be more realistic than they had anticipated. He also mentioned that the team’s performance this year is quite similar to last year, with a similar gap. It wasn’t a big surprise for him.
He added that in the previous races, they were always faster than in qualifying, but not as far ahead as they had initially feared during testing. Nonetheless, they still have a significant lead.
Piastri crossed the finish line of the Grand Prix in eighth place, losing to Hamilton in a quick battle after exiting the pits.
During the second round of pit stops, Hamilton pitted a lap earlier than the Australian, allowing him to catch up quickly as Piastri rejoined the race track. With more heat in his tires, Hamilton swiftly overtook Piastri’s MCL38.
Piastri confessed that he exerted too much effort in defending against Hamilton, resulting in a loss of lap time.
I was unable to challenge Hamilton for the position after the pass,” he explained. “I battled him out of the pits and pushed hard, but it took some time for my tires to settle back in.
These tires are very sensitive, so I had to be careful not to push too hard and wear them out quickly. The cars behind me were fast, but the dirty air made it difficult to get close enough to make a move.”
The pace seemed acceptable towards the end, however, overall, I believe the race was quite evenly matched. Perhaps Lewis was slightly faster.
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