Three months on from his season-ending victory in Abu Dhabi, Max Verstappen returns to the Gulf this weekend set on claiming another win to ignite his bid for a third consecutive world title.
The 25-year-old Dutchman, who reeled off 15 triumphs in 22 races last year on his way to becoming a double world champion with Red Bull, has never won a season-opener or a race in Bahrain.
Last year, he retired from second place as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole position, fastest lap and a convincing victory, leaving Verstappen to play catch-up in the early part of the season before dominating.
It is a memory he and Red Bull and keen to banish with a brisk start to the 2023 season in front of a sell-out crowd at the Bahrain International Circuit at Sakhir where the teams completed three days’ testing last week.
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