Max Verstappen achieved his first pole position of the Formula 1 season by dominating the classification of the Bahrain Grand Prix held at the Sepang circuit, Malaysia, on a day in which Mercedes lost the prominence shown during the previous sessions.
The Red Bull driver set a time of 1:35.130 and beat Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds, who achieved second place with Ferrari. Verstappen’s teammate, Isack Hadjar, finished third at 0.428 seconds, although he must serve a five-place penalty on the grid for exceeding the engine limit allowed for the season.
Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for Mercedes, while Charles Leclerc was fifth for Ferrari. The McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took sixth and seventh position, respectively, while George Russell had to settle for eighth place.
Pierre Gasly, from Alpine, and Gabriel Bortoleto, from Audi, completed the top ten positions in the classification.
Verstappen breaks the dominance of Mercedes engines
Verstappen’s pole position ended a streak of dominance by Mercedes-powered cars. Until this qualifying, Mercedes, McLaren and Alpine had topped all qualifying sessions of the season.
“It’s an incredible result for us seeing how the season has gone. I felt good, I felt confident and I hope we can prove it again tomorrow,” said Verstappen after taking pole.
The Dutchman also comes to this race with a favorable memory of Sepang, since he won the last time Formula 1 competed on this circuit, in 2017.
The starting position also represents a boost for his aspirations to avoid a season without victories, something that has not happened since his debut campaign in Formula 1 in 2015.
Hamilton returns to the front row
Lewis Hamilton achieved an outstanding result by placing his Ferrari in second position. The seven-time world champion is going through a difficult period in terms of results with the Italian team, so qualifying represented a relief.
“Come on guys, let’s go. Finally,” Hamilton said over the team radio after completing his lap.
Ferrari has denied speculation regarding the future of its team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, amid pressure over the team’s results.
Mercedes loses ground in the fight for the championship
The result was especially negative for George Russell, Kimi Antonelli’s main pursuer in the championship standings. Antonelli maintains a 66-point lead over his Mercedes teammate and will initially start from fourth position.
Russell explained that tire problems hampered the Mercedes’ performance at Sepang, a circuit known for its abrasive asphalt and high temperatures.
“It is a very demanding circuit for the tyres. The asphalt is extremely uneven, it is very hot and the tires are suffering a lot,” explained Russell.
The British driver noted that, for some reason, the problems are affecting Mercedes more than their rivals.
This is how the classification was
Max Verstappen — Red Bull — 1:35.130
Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +0.298
Isack Hadjar — Red Bull — +0.428
Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +0.501
Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.536
Lando Norris — McLaren — +0.627
Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +0.632
George Russell — Mercedes — +0.741
Pierre Gasly — Alpine — +2,080
Gabriel Bortoleto — Audi — +2,543
Hadjar will also lose five positions due to his penalty, so Antonelli, Leclerc, Norris, Piastri and Russell will advance one place on the starting grid.
The race will be held this Sunday in Sepang, which returns to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2017. The event was added as a replacement after the cancellation of the races scheduled in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
