Formula 1 has returned with the dull roar of Max Verstappen driving off into the distance at the Bahrain Grand Prix. While Red Bull’s world champion casually strolled to the checkered flag, multiple teammate feuds were ignited through the field. It’s Monday, March 4, 2024 and this is Racing Recap, your summary of last weekend’s motorsports action.
Does Anyone Like Their Teammate In F1?
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished third in the Saturday race, the highest-placed non-Red Bull car. He was nearly three seconds behind Sergio Perez, but he relished the chance to race hard and have fun out of track. Sainz said to the Associated Press, “I love going racing, and I love going overtaking, being aggressive, attacking. And with last year’s car, it was simply impossible to do that.”
However, Sainz was more aggressive wheel-to-wheel with his teammate Charles Leclerc. The Spanish driver has nothing to lose this season, with Lewis Hamilton set to replace him in 2025. Both Ferrari cars also struggled with brake issues during the race. The issue was so severe on Leclerc’s car that there was a 100-degree temperature variance between the right and left-hand side brakes.
Visa Cash App RB opened its rebranded tenure with a teammate scrap of its own. Differing strategies have Daniel Ricciardo on fresher tires than his teammate Yuri Tsunoda during the closing laps. The team had ordered Tsunoda to let Ricciardo through for a better shot at getting by Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.
Ricciardo could make the overtake and Tsunoda vented his frustrations over the team’s decisions after the race. The Japanese driver decided to chase down Riccardo on the cool-down lap and pass him into a corner, then accelerate past him again after locking up his wheels. A shocked Ricciardo said over the radio, “What the fuck?!? I’ll save it… He’s a fucking helmet.”
Race Results
1. – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. – Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – +22.457 seconds
3. – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – +25.110 seconds
4. – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +39.669 seconds
5. – George Russell (Mercedes) – +46.788 seconds
Chevrolet Continues Undefeated Run In NASCAR
Chevrolet has won its third race in a row to open the NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Larson won the 2024 Pennzoil 400 without any serious challengers. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron had the pace to keep up but was taken out of contention after a massive trash bag covered the front of his Camaro. Tyler Reddick and his No. 45 23XI Toyota Camry finished a relatively distant second, even with help from his teammate Bubba Wallace. Wallace ended up multiple laps down after the right-front lugnut stuck on his Camry and had to cut off to change tires.
Race Results
1. – Kyle Larson (Hendrick)
2. – Tyler Reddick (23XI) – +0.441 seconds
3. – Ryan Blaney (Penske) – +3.827 seconds
4. – Ross Chastain (Trackhouse) – +4.356 seconds
5. – Ty Gibbs (Gibbs) – +4.577 seconds