Weltmeister Max Verstappen won the Formula 1 opener in Bahrain. The Red Bull driver celebrated his 36th Grand Prix victory on Sunday in the rocky desert of Sakhir. Fernando Alonso raced to third place in the Aston Martin. International media write about the race:
Great Britain:
„The Sun“: „Super Max.“
“Daily Mail”: “Max Verstappen opened his F1 title defense with a freezing, emphatic victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix.”
“The Guardian”: “Verstappen won with flawless precision from pole to checkered flag (…).”
The Telegraph: “If there was a silver lining to the opening weekend of the 2023 season, a weekend when this year’s title race was worryingly declared dead at the start, it was the emergence of Aston Martin.”
Spain:
“Marca”: “Max Verstappen wins in Bahrain, Checo Pérez is second, but it’s Fernando Alonso’s comeback day.”
Mundo Deportivo: Fernando Alonso is happy. The Asturian finally has a car to fight for important things and the podium in Bahrain in his first race with Aston Martin proves it.”
“Sport”: “Alonso did magic again in Bahrain. Reality has overtaken fiction. A brutal race by the Asturian.”
“As”: “Alonso reinvents the podium and makes Hamilton look old. Verstappen and Pérez are in a different league, but the protagonist is Alonso.”
Austria:
“Kurier”: “Lessons from the Formula 1 start: Alonso stole the show from Verstappen.”
Switzerland:
“Blick”: “Red Bull missed Ferrari a first slap.”
“Tags-Anzeiger”: “Fernando Alonso duped them all – almost all.”
Netherlands:
“Trouw”: “Formula 1 seems to have changed little in the new season. Max Verstappen continues his autocracy, the competitors struggle with themselves and with their cars.
“De Volkskrant”: “Verstappen and Pérez force the rivals into a modest supporting role. Max Verstappen continues where he left off last year, winning unreachably in Bahrain. The mood after the victory: Let’s be happy about the struggles behind Red Bull.”
Italy:
“Gazzetta dello Sport”: “World champion Verstappen does not want to hand over the scepter to any rival. He handles all the little problems, he starts like a number one. Defeating him and this Red Bull car seems mission impossible for the opponents.”
“Corriere dello Sport”: “Ferrari can’t save anything from this start of the season. A year after the double victory in Bahrain, Maranello proves that they are not on the same level as their opponents.”
“Tuttosport”: “Ferrari, this start of the season is a nightmare. Maranello has to do something, we’re not competitive like that!”
“Corriere della Sera”: “In the first race of the season, Verstappen and Pérez are reminiscent of Schumacher’s monologues with Ferrari and Hamilton’s with Mercedes.”
“La Repubblica”: “Shock in the desert for Ferrari. The Scuderia is anything but a competitor for the heavyweight Red Bull.”
