Max Verstappen’s Path Turns Challenging for Bahrain GP – Ferrari Leaps Forward, McLaren Rising and Hamilton on a Mission

Do you know of the Bahrain Curse? It was believed that whoever wins the season opener, i.e. The Bahrain GP ends up second in the world championship. At least, that has been the case since 2017. Interestingly, Lewis Hamilton, who was the favorite to win the 2021 title, won the race and ended up losing due to the “human error” call. Last year, when people had already seen the curse in action for more than half a decade, it was just assumed that Max Verstappen might not win his 3rd title, but little did we know. He came, he smashed, and he conquered. But will that be the case for the 2024 campaign as well?

Can Max Verstappen manage a repeat of 2023?

During the Bahrain Testing, Fernando Alonso said the entire Formula 1 grid thinks Max will be the 2024 champion. This statement reminds us of George Russell’s prediction in 2023 when he said Red Bull is going to win every race in 2023 and they did win all but one race. The duo who have become New Year’s Eve party buddies have been extremely vocal and realistic in their assessment. If Russell’s prediction came true, should we trust Fernando as well?

If there is any truth in testing numbers, then Red Bulls seem like the clear dominant party, with Ferrari giving a glimpse and glimmer of hope to others. But we should remember that Verstappen won 19 races, IN A SINGLE SEASON!! Adrian Newey’s brain combined with Max Verstappen’s brawn won’t be an easy combination to beat if one manages to take the championship fight to them. That being said, Verstappen & Co. have bigger threats this year in the name of Ferrari and McLaren.

Can Ferrari take the fight to Red Bull?

Sandbagging is a concept that made Ferrari its victim in 2019. During testing, Lewis-led Mercedes weren’t seen as a threat and the world hoped for a Ferrari Miracle because of the timings on the board. Cut to the actual campaign where Mercedes ended up winning 8 races in a row. In 2024, has Ferrari taken a leaf out of their old rival’s book considering the blazing timings Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have put on the board?

Talking about the 2024 campaign and expectations from it, Frederic Vasseur said, “We must not be afraid to dare if we believe that a certain choice can make a difference to our performance. The car seems competitive. Charles and Carlos were in excellent form and I see the whole team very focused. We are determined to get a good result.”

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Adding two and two together, one can hope for the lost glory of Maranello to be back. After all, Ferrari became the only team to prevent Red Bull’s clean sweep in 2023. But other teams like McLaren made a jaw-dropping turnaround in 2023 mid-season and are potential championship contenders as well.

McLaren rising: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri might have surprises up their sleeves

Lando Norris, whose Twitter bio boasted of the fact that he was a driver of fast cars, changed the description to “super fast cars”. Is that a hint, Lando? We think it is. Talking to This Morning, Norris had even stated if there’s going to be any season he has had some confidence it is going to be this season. And despite spending 5 years on the team, he stated that the team is in the best place it has ever been.

And Oscar Piastri, who had teams fighting over him, became a Sprint race winner on pure pace and skill, and that too before Norris. Now, in his sophomore year, the Australian rookie is more experienced and will have a better machine underneath him. With such a strong lineup and great strides in development, McLaren can very well be a contender this season. But there is one man who still has something to prove or rather “claim back his 8th championship”.

Will it be Lewis Hamilton who dethrones Max Verstappen?

Lewis Hamilton is hungrier than ever. He, along with most of the world, claims that he needs to take back what was taken from him; his 8th championship, and that too due to a human error. And now in his last year at Mercedes, the man who boasts of the biggest records and most successful partnership wants to prove a point before his departure.

While in the latest season of Drive to Survive, he said that he has forgotten what winning feels like. The man has outperformed his machine and been a saving grace for Mercedes. And the 7x champion aims to end his winless run in 2024. Can he make that happen?

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Who do you think will take the fight to Red Bull and Max? Let us know in the comments below.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EssentiallySports.