But it was a tough start to the season for both Ferrari and Mercedes, as Charles Leclerc retired while running in third with an engine issue and both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell struggled for pace against the frontrunners.
Further back it was a nightmare Bahrain GP for McLaren, with Oscar Piastri suffering a gearbox and steering wheel problem on his F1 debut and Lando Norris hobbled to the finish a lap down due to a pressure leak with the engine pneumatics.
PLUS: The critical Red Bull tyre tactic Ferrari couldn't copy in Bahrain GP
Podcast host Martyn Lee is joined by Autosport chief editor Kevin Turner, F1 editor Matt Kew and F1 writer Jake Boxall-Legge to look back at the first race of the 2023 season and assess what it means for the year ahead.
You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or via all good audio platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
