The difference from a year ago is significant in Bahrain. The same paddock, the same (scorching) temperatures, the same teams, but different circumstances. No unprecedented chaos and frenzy, but relative calm. Or is it the calm before the storm?
Max Verstappen won the season’s opening race in Bahrain a year ago, finishing more than 22 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, his teammate Sergio Pérez.
The Bahrain International Circuit was also the site in 2024 where the Red Bull volcano erupted historically. The anonymous email with compromising WhatsApp exchanges between Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and a female staff member caused months of news and speculation.
Horner’s position was heavily pressured from all sides. But that too proved to be temporary. Today, Horner is more powerful within Red Bull ranks than ever, seemingly pulling almost all the strings. With the exception of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, of course, who determines his own fate.
37.8 degrees
In Bahrain, the mercury rises well above 30 degrees Celsius during the day. On Thursday, it hit 37.8. In other words, it’s unbearable outside. It’s no wonder that little to nothing grows in this sandbox. If McLaren ever wanted to launch orange lawnmowers on the market, Bahrain can be ruled out as a potential market.
The paddock is naturally quiet due to the extreme heat. Those who don’t have to be outside prefer the relative coolness of the media center, the teams’ hospitality areas, or the garages. And if there’s no other choice, many take an umbrella with them. Against the harsh sun. Few people hang around the Red Bull accommodation. Things can change, as they say. Both off and on the track.
Pressure Cooker
Compared to a year ago, Verstappen has gone from being the hunted to the hunter, who still has Lando Norris‘s McLaren within a respectable distance. The new dynamics, however, are causing friction within the formerly dominant team.
Two weeks after the widely criticized driver swap between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, the Red Bull storm seems relatively calm. However, beneath the surface, it’s still bubbling. The question is not if there will be another major eruption, but when.
But all that is a concern for later. First, they have to survive the pressure cooker of Bahrain…
