P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen stormed to pole position for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The reigning champion was challenged more closely than expected by Leclerc thro…
Max Verstappen clinched pole position for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc from Ferrari. Verstappen and Leclerc were separated by only 0.059s after their first laps in Q3, with Leclerc failing to improve on new tires in the final lap. Despite Verstappen’s unexpected pole, Leclerc felt confident in Ferrari’s competitiveness for the race. George Russell validated Mercedes improvements by qualifying third, expecting a close race with Red Bull. The top six grid positions are completed by Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, with Lewis Hamilton starting ninth and Nico Hulkenberg 10th. Yuki Tsunoda leads RB in 11th, followed by Lance Stroll in 12th, and Alex Albon in 13th. Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen, and Valtteri Bottas round up the middle of the grid. Logan Sargeant starts 18th, while Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly start from the back row, confirming Alpine’s tough start to the season.
