Max Verstappen clinched his first pole position of the Formula One season ahead of Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia this year due to unrest in the Middle East. The race takes place at the Sepang International Circuit, marking the sport’s return to Malaysian soil.
Verstappen produced a commanding lap to secure pole, his first since the Abu Dhabi finale last December, finishing three tenths of a second ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Despite Mercedes bringing extensive upgrades for the 16th round, their drivers struggled to make a mark. Kimi Antonelli managed fourth, while George Russell qualified eighth, a disappointing result that hampers his hopes of challenging for the championship. Russell trails his team mate by 66 points and was almost a full second slower than Verstappen.
Isack Hadjar took third spot for Red Bull, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in fifth and world champion Lando Norris securing sixth for McLaren.
READ MORE: River Brue in Somerset Gains Formal Rights to Protect Its Future
READ MORE: American Tries Somerset Scrumpy for First Time and Describes It as ‘Lethal’
Verstappen, who previously triumphed in the last Sepang race nine years ago, looks set to contend strongly for victory once more this weekend, aiming to end his challenging season on a high.
Reflecting on his performance, Verstappen commented, “It is fantastic. We’ve been striving for pole. To finally achieve it, especially considering how the season started, is incredible. I am happy with today and will aim to win tomorrow. Starting first sets the goal.”
Hamilton acknowledged difficulties in finding the right car balance but praised his team’s adjustments. “It was tough to find a good setup. We made one change before qualifying that hit the sweet spot. I am very grateful and will do my best to hold off Max tomorrow.”
Antonelli experienced a setback when his initial pole-contending lap was invalidated for exceeding track limits at turn six, leaving him with a single opportunity to compete for the top spot. Ultimately, he finished half a second behind Verstappen.
Russell had two attempts in the final qualifying segment but could not challenge the leaders, diminishing his chances of capitalising on a recent victory in Azerbaijan to mount a championship comeback.
Aston Martin, despite facing a difficult season, saw both their drivers advance to the second qualification phase for only the second time this year. Fernando Alonso, who recently signed a contract extension through next season, qualified 12th, ahead of Lance Stroll in 14th.
Franco Colapinto will start from the back of the grid after receiving multiple penalties. He had an initial five-place drop for his collision with Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly in Baku and an additional grid penalty for installing a new power unit. Colapinto qualified 15th but those sanctions will see him move to the rear of the field.