WEEKEND WARM-UP: F1 returns to action for 2024 as the drivers prepare to go racing in Bahrain

After a busy winter break, Formula 1 is officially back for the first race of the 2024 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix. But before the action kicks off on track, our Weekend Warm-up crew are on hand to discuss all the big topics from the paddock.

The 2023 campaign was a thoroughly dominant one for Red Bull, with the team winning all but one race while 19 of these 21 victories went to Max Verstappen. Can the reigning world champions begin their title defence in style this weekend, or will their rivals make life hard for them at the Bahrain International Circuit?

NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix

There have been some big moves in the driver market during the off-season thanks to Lewis Hamilton’s shock switch to Ferrari for 2025. But with his focus firmly on ending the last chapter with Mercedes on a high, can the Silver Arrows push forwards this year, and how will their battle with the Scuderia play out?

Plenty of question marks remain over the pecking order across the field, given the increasingly close midfield scrap that developed last year. Who might have made gains entering into this weekend, and which teams could find themselves in a difficult spot?

With all of this to discuss and much more beyond, click on the video player above to join Lawrence Barretto, Jolyon Palmer, Will Buxton and Laura Winter as they preview the weekend’s action.