FORMULA ONE fans believe the battle to win the 2023 title is over after just one lap as Max Verstappen continued his dominance.
The new season got underway in Bahrain with the Red Bull driver winning the opening race of the season as he aims to make it three world championship victories in a row.
And Verstappen got off to a great start, racing into an early lead, picking up from where he left off in the previous campaign.
The 25-year-old started on poll with his team-mate Sergio Perez in second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in third.
After the first lap of the track, Verstappen was already 1.2 seconds ahead of Leclerc, who had jumped ahead of Perez.
Four laps in, the Dutchman further extended his lead to 3.4 seconds.
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By the eighth time around the track, he was an incredible 6.3 seconds ahead of his closest rival.
Verstappen did pit and was briefly behind Perez before regaining his lead to 13.7 seconds by lap 29.
He ended up winning the first race of the season 12 seconds ahead of his Mexican team-mate and a remarkable 38.6 seconds in front of third place Fernando Alonso.
Fans were left in disbelief by his start and feared the new season could soon become a procession.
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One supporter said: “The championship is finished after one race.”
Another suggested his dominance will last until the final race of the year: “Verstappen is basically getting ready to take the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi he’s that far ahead.”
A third reacted: “Red Bull seemingly on a different level at the moment.”
More called him “unbeatable”, claiming it is a “sign of the season ahead.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
