Max Verstappen will start his quest for a fourth successive F1 world title from pole position in Saturday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after seeing off a fierce challenge from Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc in 2024’s first qualifying hour.
George Russell took an encouraging third for Mercedes, within a tenth of Leclerc, but team-mate Lewis Hamilton was only ninth for the start of Saturday’s race.
Verstappen, whose team boss Christian Horner oversaw the session in his usual position on the Red Bull pit wall, delivered a best Q3 lap of 1:29.179 with his final attempt to edge out Leclerc by 0.228s.
Carlos Sainz was fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Perez.
Lando Norris was the lead McLaren in seventh behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
Meanwhile, in Q1, Alpine’s early-season fears about their lack of competitiveness were realised in stark fashion as they qualified slowest of all and claimed an unwanted back-row lockout.
The team, who finished sixth in last year’s standings a long way behind the leading teams but comfortably clear of the rest of the field, have made wholesale changes to their car for 2024 in a bid to find a step-change in performance.
But, for now at least, that change has sent them in the wrong direction on the grid with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly to line up 19th and 20th respectively for the season-opener. The team are confident they have lots of potential to unlock but warned at the start of the race weekend that it would take them some time.
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Esteban Ocon attempts to console the Alpine team after he and his team mate Pierre Gasly finished last in qualifying at the Bahrain GP.
Bahrain GP Qualifying: Top 10
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3) George Russell, Mercedes
4) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
5) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
6) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
7) Lando Norris, McLaren
8) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
9) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
10) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
More to follow…
Sky Sports F1’s live Bahrain GP schedule
Saturday March 2
- 8.55am: F3 Feature Race
- 10.25am: F2 Feature Race
- 1.30pm: Bahrain GP build-up: Grand Prix Saturday
- 3pm: THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
- 5pm: Bahrain GP reaction: Chequered Flag
- 6pm: Ted’s Notebook
- 6.30pm: Bahrain GP highlights
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