After the end of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team Fernando Alonso expressed that the AMR 24 was not fast enough at the Sakhir circuit.
Verstappen qualified first for the race on Saturday night and maintained his lead throughout the first lap before gradually pulling away from the field to finish 22 seconds ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
Speaking after the session, the 39-year-old conceded that it had been a "crazy" first day and discussed the challenges faced by the windy weather earlier in first practice.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull made headlines as pre-season testing for 2024 at the Bahrain International Circuit, handily winning both of the early sessions.
Ricciardo spent the majority of last year on the sidelines after leaving McLaren and rejoining Red Bull as a third driver but was called in at AlphaTauri mid-season to replace the faltering Nyck de Vries.
Hamilton is the most successful driver in F1 history, with seven world championships, 103 race victories, 104 pole positions, 197 podium finishes, and over 4,600 points.
After being pushed by Charles Leclerc in the early laps, Verstappen managed to gain an advantage over the rest of the field and secure his fourth consecutive victory in Abu Dhabi.
Sergio Perez's chances of a third consecutive podium finish at his home race were crushed at the first corner on the first lap when he collided with Charles Leclerc.
From the head of the third row, Marquez lost a little ground in the run down to Turn 1 but quickly rallied and recovered to challenge the top five. A spirited start to the race had the #93 as an early podium contender but he quickly had to switch into a more defensive posture as the competit