Verstappen’s teammate last year, Sergio Pérez, has been replaced by Liam Lawson this season, with the New Zealand driver set to make his full-time F1 debut in 2025. In the drizzly conditions in Bahrain, Lawson said he was fighting “a few teething gremlins” with his car as he sought to adjust to life alongside Verstappen.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton racing a Ferrari for the first time. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen arriving without a lot of mileage in his Red Bull.

Vettel had joined Ferrari the previous year from Red Bull, where he had won four straight world championships from 2010 to 2013, dominating the sport. Yet for all his success, nothing could match the allure of racing for F1’s most famous,