2024 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix Race Recap

2024 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix Race Recap،

SAKHIR, Bahrain — Three-time world champion Max Verstappen began his title defense with pole position at the season-opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, but the first qualifying session of the year was much closer provided that.

The Red Bull driver took pole 0.228 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver was the only top ten finisher not to improve from the Q2 session to Q3. If Leclerc had reproduced his Q2 time, 1:29.165, he would have started from pole position.

Max Verstappen takes his career pole position to 34 in Bahrain.

George Russell secured third place on the grid for Mercedes with a time 0.306 seconds behind Verstappen, making it three teams in the top three in the opening round of the season.

At the end of the session, Verstappen felt like he hadn't done enough, but the Dutch driver was 0.228 quicker than Leclerc.

“There is nothing to regret for Max. A very good start. Two tenths ahead of Charles and three tenths ahead of George,” team boss Christian Horner said on team radio .

The three-time champion, who won pole in Bahrain last year and finished with 19 wins from 22 races in a dominant season, said it had been fun.

“The track had a lot of grip but with the wind the last two days it was quite difficult to complete the whole lap and it was the same in qualifying. Of course I'm very happy to be on pole. was a bit unexpected. but luckily in qualifying the car came to us and I felt a bit more satisfied with the whole car.”

Red Bull's Sergio Perez will start fifth, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso sixth and McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seventh and eighth.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will line up in ninth place, with Haas' Nico Hulkenberg a surprise 10th for the American team.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.