Max Verstappen clinches pole in thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying session
SAKHIR, Bahrain — In a nail-biting commencement to the 2024 Formula 1 season, Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured the pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen's stellar performance narrowly outpaced Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell in a fiercely competitive first qualifying session.
Verstappen clocked an impressive 1m 29.421s on his initial Q3 attempt and then slashed it further to a blazing 1m 29.179s during his second run. This secured his pole position by a margin of two-tenths over Leclerc, with Russell trailing by an additional tenth, rounding out the top three.
Carlos Sainz ensured a strong showing for Ferrari by claiming the fourth spot, while Sergio Perez, Verstappen's teammate, managed only fifth, lapping nearly half a second slower than the pole-setter during their critical laps.
Fernando Alonso spearheaded Aston Martin's effort with a commendable sixth-place finish, beating the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had to make do with ninth place in the second Mercedes car.
Nico Hulkenberg's strong performance throughout qualifying saw him reach Q3, securing the tenth position and providing a much-needed boost for a Haas team that has been navigating managerial changes over the winter.
Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda narrowly missed a Q3 appearance, finishing 11th, just seven hundredths of a second shy of Piastri's McLaren in Q2. He was followed by Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Williams' Alex Albon.
Daniel Ricciardo, making his return to Formula 1, secured 14th, just a tenth-and-a-half off his teammate's pace. Kevin Magnussen, unable to emulate Hulkenberg's success, ended up 15th, seven tenths slower within the Haas team after losing one of his Q2 lap times for exceeding track limits.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloKick Sauber's Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu found themselves unable to advance past Q1, finishing 16th and 17th respectively. Zhou’s final attempt was marred by a dramatic slide at the last corner. Logan Sargeant of Williams had a challenging session, winding up 18th amid traffic complaints.
Alpine faced a disastrous start to their 2024 campaign, with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly languishing in 19th and 20th spots respectively. Despite the setback, Ocon remained positive, sending an encouraging message over the radio to his team, which now has significant work ahead.
As the dust settled from an electrifying qualifying session, drivers and teams will regroup in anticipation of a gripping opening round of the 2024 season at the Bahrain International Circuit on Saturday evening.
