P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen believes ‘attention to detail’ was the key to pole in Bahrain, and will again be the differentiator during
Verstappen secured pole position with a time of 1:29.179s, edging out Charles Leclerc by 0.228s, who will line up beside him on the front row. Despite dominating the 2023 season, Verstappen faced a closely contested qualifying session due to a more competitive field post-winter break. The Dutch driver praised his team for finding performance improvements in qualifying, navigating challenging track conditions and minimal margins for error. While Verstappen maintained a two-tenths gap to Leclerc, the top nine drivers were separated by just over half a second, indicating a tighter field this year. Concerns over car setup and gearbox issues were addressed by Verstappen as he sought the optimal balance for a demanding track like the one they were racing on.
