F1 champion predicts shock driver to BEAT Verstappen at Bahrain Grand Prix

Damon Hill has touted a surprise driver to win the first race of the 2024 Formula 1 season in Bahrain after two years of Red Bull dominance.

Max Verstappen won 19 of the 22 grands prix on offer last year, as Red Bull wound up putting together one of the most historic seasons in the sport’s history.

Instead of choosing the easy option and developing their old car, they made some radical design choices that may help them to retain their significant advantage in 2024.

But the chasing pack are closing in on them all the time and as is the case at the start of any season – reliability could be a key factor on raceday.

READ MORE: Horner Red Bull investigation 'COMPLETED' as new verdict date given

Hill: A totally stunned world is going to see

F1 champion Damon Hill has picked a driver without a victory in over two years to reign supreme this weekend – one that would be of much pleasure to the British fanbase.

“In reverse order, Fernando Alonso and then the next is going to be Checo Perez,” he told F1 Oversteer.

“And then the winner is going to be, a totally stunned world is going to see…Lewis [Hamilton] is going to win it and that’s because both Red Bulls have sprung a leak and they’ve overheated or got some sort of technical problem they didn’t realise was going to happen.

“And that’s not wishful thinking, I just think we’re going to get a surprise result at least I hope!”

Mercedes showed some positive progress at pre-season testing, but their own calculations had the rest of the pack as much as one second behind Red Bull.

That would be a test for Hill’s theory, if he believes that despite a huge pace advantage, that Sergio Perez would be unable to overcome Lewis Hamilton in race trim.

READ MORE: Horner and Red Bull investigation given SCATHING verdict by F1 legend

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