Verstappen will start ahead of Red Bull Racing team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after the one-hour qualifying session, which was split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.
Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen on pole from Perez
What happened in Bahrain Grand Prix Q1?
Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) set the early pace at 1m32.132s before a red flag was required for Leclerc losing a sizeable chunk of his Ferrari’s right-front brake duct as he opened his first flying lap.
After the resumption, all 20 cars hit the track. Verstappen lapped in 1m31.295s before Fernando Alonso pipped him with 1m31.158s. The fastest time then tumbled, with Leclerc taking P1 with 1m31.094s before George Russell (Mercedes) took it on 1m31.057s and then Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) snatched it with 1m30.993s.
Falling at the first hurdle were Logan Sargeant (Williams, who matched Lando Norris’s time exactly but set his lap later), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine, who lost his 17th-fastest time due to exceeding track limits and will start last).
Bahrain Grand Prix Q1 results: Sainz fastest from Russell
What happened in Bahrain Grand Prix Q2?
Lewis Hamilton set the initial pace for Mercedes at 1m30.901s, until Verstappen unleashed a 1m30.503s and team-mate Perez got within a quarter of a second of him for an early Red Bull 1-2.
With both Red Bulls staying in the garage for the final runs, Leclerc took the P1 spot with 1m30.282s, two tenths quicker than Verstappen. Russell was third, ahead of Hamilton, Sainz and Alonso.
Knocked out at this point were Norris (McLaren), the Alfa Romeos of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, Tsunoda and Alex Albon (Williams).
Bahrain Grand Prix Q2 results: Leclerc fastest from Verstappen
What happened in Bahrain Grand Prix Q3?
On the first runs, Verstappen took provisional pole with 1m29.897s, a tenth faster than Leclerc, who managed a 1m30s-flat. Perez took third, ahead of Sainz (who had a big moment at Turn 8) and Stroll. Alonso and the Mercedes duo ran later, with Alonso and Russell jumping ahead of Sainz to take fourth and fifth respectively at this point, with Hamilton only managing seventh.
Leclerc exited his car before the final runs, deciding to save tyres, allowing the Red Bulls a free shot to go faster. Verstappen produced 1m29.708s to extend his advantage, with Perez…
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