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 Pink 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 area this 12 months.
PLUS: The laps that underpinned Verstappen’s Bahrain dominance
However Pink Bull crew principal Christian Horner thinks that Bahrain didn’t supply a transparent image of issues as a result of his crew was on a unique tyre technique to the opposition.
The allocation it had for the race meant it used a tender tyre for the ultimate stint, somewhat than the laborious everybody else had, and he thinks that exaggerated the gaps at an occasion that was cooler than regular.
“You may’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 form of distorted, maybe, the back-end of the stint. However nonetheless, it was a dominant show and nice to get that most rating.”
However regardless of Horner considering that issues are nearer than they seem, main rivals have a unique opinion.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stated: “I believe Max will not be in a unique league, however is in a unique galaxy. The efficiency is extraordinary.”
Requested if he felt that pointed to Pink Bull profitable all of the races, Wolff stated: “Sadly sure. You simply want to only acknowledge his efficiency ranges are actually very sturdy.”
Toto Wolff, Staff Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Horner doesn’t agree that Pink Bull is thus far forward, and he reckons that the image from Bahrain really factors to an even bigger menace to his crew.
“I am sorry that it wasn’t a extra entertaining race for you, however that’s the results of the crew doing its job and producing an unimaginable automotive,” he stated.
“We’ve a pattern of 1 race and I’ve the sensation that the sphere goes to concertina this 12 months. So I do not suppose you’ll be able to take something as a right out of this one race on a particular floor, particular situations.
“I have been on this enterprise too lengthy to attract too many conclusions from a single race. It is a incredible begin and we get pleasure from this second.
“However it’s an extended season, many alternative venues, completely different challenges, completely different situations. And what we noticed within the testing is issues are nearer.
“We bought it proper this weekend. We took the best tyres into the race. We executed an ideal race with each automobiles and we bought an incredible end. However I believe that it’ll converge.”