Finally, a duel to ignite F1 for the season ahead
Wonderful defence against enthralling charge from Verstappen is what sport has been craving
The wounds for Verstappen were tempered by the knowledge Mercedes looked mortal
True, the destination was familiar, but the journey was thrillingly novel. Fourteen times Lewis Hamilton has led home a one-two finish from Max Verstappen, but never has he had to scrap tooth and claw to do so, frantically fending off the young charger until the final corner.
As Formula One searches for its magic potion to mitigate the ennui of too many one-sided championships, it could do worse than to repeat the closing laps of a captivating Bahrain Grand Prix on a loop.
For the five years since Verstappen became F1’s youngest race winner, hopes of a duel with Hamilton have been sabotaged by the scale of Mercedes’ advantage. It is a joy to report that this gap has vanished, with Adrian Newey, the Red Bull design genius, fashioning a car worthy of the Dutchman’s fearsome gift for speed. At last, the two finest drivers of their generation could duel on an equal footing, and the result, exhilaratingly for the first battle of a 23-race campaign, was too close to call.
While Hamilton drew first blood, the wounds for Verstappen were tempered by the knowledge that Mercedes looked mortal. This was not the champion’s normal procession under desert floodlights, but a gruelling and defensive drive. His race craft reflected the virtue of experience, as he drew the error from his pursuer by forcing him to veer wide with the one clear chance of an overtake.
Verstappen, scrupulous though he might have been in his post-race diplomacy, was clearly preparing for a far more animated team debrief. Red Bull’s order for him to hand back the lead he gained with three laps to go was an affront to his racing instinct. He had sufficient pace, he said, to beat Hamilton even if he incurred a fivesecond penalty. It has taken him 119 grands prix to eke out even a fractional advantage in the quest for his maiden title, and it hurt him deeply to relinquish it.
But for anybody falling out of love with F1 through Mercedes’ dominance, the drama was heaven-sent. For all that strategy played a crucial part in vaulting Hamilton to the front, the denouement was decided by driver skill. “Just let me get on with it, Bono,” Hamilton told engineer Pete Bonnington as Verstappen chased hard. Gianpiero Lambiase, the man in Verstappen’s earpiece, knew better than to interject. “I’m going to leave you to it,” he said. “Just let me know if there’s anything you need.” Such as what, a sandwich?
The joy of moments like these is that the drivers are safe from interference. Engine modes have been set, pit-stop calls have been made, and the track is clear. After 3½ months of off-season training by Hamilton and Verstappen, there was barely the width of a radiator duct to separate them.
Arguably, Verstappen was a touch impetuous in trying to pass Hamilton at turn four, rather than waiting for a more straightforward opening at the end of the main straight. But that would be to neglect Hamilton’s skill in placing his car in exactly the right positions to force the mistake. What is more, he did so on shredded rubber that he somehow made last 27 laps. He is F1’s answer to Robert Redford, in that some have christened him “the tyre-whisperer”.
For weeks, Hamilton has cast doubt on his future, agreeing only a one-year deal with Mercedes and suggesting that the dream of more titles was no longer his abiding quest. Such was the adrenalin rush of this tussle, he offered a far more optimistic signal last night. “I love a challenge,” he smiled. “I still love what I do.” Since Nico Rosberg, he has not had a rival worth the name, but Verstappen brings a level of threat to keep him hungry.
Quite simply, the spectacle highlighted what F1 has been missing: a fierce and twisting joust that defied easy resolution until the chequered flag fell. Verstappen appeared every inch a multiple world champion-in-waiting, but Hamilton’s resistance proved he would not cede his supremacy without a fight. “The biggest winners are the fans,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, even amid the dejection of his driver’s defeat.
For once, such a remark did not sound like a platitude. As fireworks exploded all across the circuit, it felt as if F1 is ablaze with possibility once more.