Max Verstappen conquered the coveted pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, marking his 34th pole in his career. He surpassed his closest competitor, Charles Leclerc, by a margin of 0.228 seconds. George Russell achieved the third best time, followed by Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari. Sergio Perez from Red Bull will start from the fifth position, with Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris right behind.
The third practice session showcased the competitiveness of the field, with only eight tenths of a second separating 14 cars. This set the stage for an exciting qualifying session to kick off the 2024 season. The narrow margins meant that even the smallest mistakes could be costly.
The first qualifying session, Q1, started calmly as only Ferrari and Alpine initially took to the track. Most teams chose to wait for track improvement before venturing out. With 10 minutes remaining, the 20 cars equipped with soft tires made their appearance. Verstappen initially had the advantage, but Sainz managed to surpass him by one-tenth of a second on his second attempt. Only Sainz remained in the pits while other drivers sought to take advantage of the cooler track. Sainz finished Q1 in first place, followed by Lance Stroll, Verstappen, Norris, and Alonso.
In Q2, Verstappen regained the top position with a time of 1:29.374s, half a second ahead of his teammate Perez and McLaren’s Norris. Hulkenberg briefly appeared in second place, highlighting the gains that could be made on a greener and cooler track. Leclerc ended up securing the fastest time in Q2, with Sainz in third place. Both Mercedes drivers were at risk of being eliminated, but they managed to improve their positions, with Hamilton in fourth and Russell in seventh.
The final phase of qualifying, Q3, featured six teams, including Hulkenberg’s Haas and Alonso’s Aston Martin. Verstappen initially held onto the provisional pole position, closely followed by Leclerc. Alonso made a single out-of-sync effort and secured third place. Verstappen ultimately clinched his 34th career pole position, with Leclerc starting in second. Russell will lead the Mercedes attack from the third position on the grid, followed by Sainz, Perez, and Alonso. The top six positions were separated by less than 0.050 seconds. Norris and Hamilton will start from the fourth row, with Hulkenberg completing the top ten.
