P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 Bahrain GP: Verstappen beats Leclerc, Russell to first pole of 2024
The reigning champion asserted dominance in Q3 by setting a benchmark time but was overtaken by Verstappen, who claimed the best first sector time. George Russell overcame a scare in Q2 to secure third on the grid, despite being investigated for exceeding the maximum delta time in Q1. Carlos Sainz showed strong pace but could not outperform Leclerc in qualifying, starting behind Russell and Sergio Perez. Fernando Alonso’s strategic decision in Q3 yielded a sixth-place start, ahead of a struggling Lewis Hamilton who finds himself in the back half of the grid. The tight competition in Q2 led to late improvements by Russell and Hamilton, bumping out Tsunoda and Stroll. The session saw dynamic shifts in the order, with surprises like Leclerc’s top spot and Hulkenberg’s rise to sixth.
