Bahrain GP talking points: Verstappen starts first, but all eyes on Fernando Alonso

Today's Bahrain Grand Prix is the first race of the new 2023 Formula 1 season, but already the cards are lined up for a promising year.

Heading into the GP, here are some of the major talking points.

Verstappen on the charge?

Red Bull's 2022 drivers' champion, Max Verstappen, is ready to kickstart his title defence in the best way possible: with a win. At the start of the weekend, it seemed as though Verstappen might be playing catchup to teammate Sergio Perez, but he gradually improved his pace.

But ever the cunning driver, Verstappen was on the button in qualifying and secured the position ahead of Perez, and the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

If Verstappen wins today, it'll be his first victory in Bahrain and his first at a season opener.

A tantalising starting grid for Sunday's race! ??#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/n6jTlfReUK

Alonso, the fox

Fernando Alonso shocked the F1 world in 2022 when he announced his departure from Alpine to join Aston Martin. No one expected it because Alpine was the stronger team between the two, and it could only get better in 2023.

Well, apparently not. Aston Martin seems to be the third-quickest team behind Red Bull and Ferrari, but ahead of Mercedes-AMG. And it was Alonso leading the charge for his new team.

He was quick throughout the weekend, topped the second and third practice sessions, and eventually settled for fifth at the end of qualifying. Still, the Spaniard is more than happy with the result.

"This is just an unbelievable result and car that we are driving at the moment," said the 41-year old Alonso. "This is just the baseline, the starting point of this project.

"[Everything is new], so we have now a good platform that we can develop in the next weeks and the next