Formula One world champion Max Verstappen ensured it was a case of business as usual as he stormed to pole position at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
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Verstappen and Red Bull dominated the 2023 season but their build-up to the new campaign has been overshadowed by allegations against team principal Christian Horner, who was cleared of “inappropriate behaviour” by an independent investigation earlier this week.
However, an email was then sent to hundreds of journalists and F1 staff purportedly containing images of messages Horner had sent to the individual who first lodged the complaint.
Amid that figurative turbulence and the unseasonably strong winds in Bahrain, Verstappen managed to find pace when it mattered after a mixed showing during practice, Q1 and Q2.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc found himself in the familiar position of coming in second behind the sport's dominant force, 0.228 seconds shy of Verstappen, with Mercedes’ George Russell completing the top three ahead of Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari.
Leclrec can at least take heart from setting the fastest time of the entire session in Q2, although Red Bull's 2023 tendency to kick on with superior race pace means Verstappen remains very ominously placed.
Lewis Hamilton will begin his final season at Mercedes down in ninth, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was off Verstappen’s pace in fifth ahead of Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin. For the first time since 2021, both McLarens will start inside the top 10, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seventh and eighth respectively.
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F1 grid, qualifying times for Bahrain Grand Prix Position Driver Team Qual. time 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:29.179 2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:29.407 3 George Russell Mercedes 1:29.485 4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:29.507 5 Sergio Perez Red Bull 1:29.537 6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:29.542 7 Lando Norris McLaren 1:29.614 8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:29.683 9 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:29.710 10 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:30.502 11 Yuki Tsunoda* RB 1:30.129 12 Lance Stroll* Aston Martin 1:30.200 13 Alex Albon* Williams 1:30.221 14 Daniel Ricciardo* RB 1:30.278 15 Kevin Magnussen* Haas 1:30.529 16 Valtteri Bottas** Kick Sauber 1:30.756 17 Zhou Guanyu** Kick Sauber 1:30.757 18 Logan Sargeant** Williams 1:30.770 19 Esteban Ocon** Alpine 1:30.793 20 Pierre Gasly** Alpine 1:30.948* Eliminated after Q2
** Eliminated after Q1
F1 Bahrain qualifying liveEND OF Q3: Russell nudges Alonso out of the top three. Not so clever from Hamilton in the other Mercedes, who is down in ninth. Leclerc and Sainz are unable to dislodge Max Verstappen who is on pole position for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
Here's the top 10:
1st: Max Verstappen, Red Bull 2nd: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari 3rd: George Russell, Mercedes 4th: Carlos Sainz, Ferrari 5th: Sergio Perez, Red Bull 6th: Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin 7th: Lando Norris, McLaren 8th: Oscar Piastri, McLaren 9th: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 10th: Nico Hulkenberg, Haas1:00 left in Q3: Track temperature down to 21 degrees Celcius as we approach 8 p.m. in Bahrain. Verstappen is out again and flying through the first sector. Looking to put this beyond any doubt.
3:00 left in Q3: Alonso leaves it late to get a lap on the board but he puts the Aston Martin third behind Verstappen and Leclerc as it stands.
7:00 left in Q3: Leclerc bombs around the final sector and he goes second, 0.059 slower than Verstappen.
8:00 left in Q3: A 28.6 first sector from Verstappen. Silly stuff. He's slower than Norris through the second but he goes ahead of Russell onto provisional pole.
START OF Q3: We start with a race to the end of the pit lane between Verstappen and the Mercedes. Steady on, gents.
END OF Q2: Russell and Hamilton scrapping in the Mercedes. They nip into sixth and fourth respectively. That's more like it from Lewis. We've got Leclerc and Sainz first and third in the Ferraris, either side of Verstappen, with Alonso's Aston Martin fifth. Hulkenberg with the story of the session, his Haas coming in sixth. A different vibe for his team-mate...
11th: Yuki Tsunoda, RB 12th: Lance Stroll, Aston Martin 13th: Alex Albon, Williams 14th: Daniel Ricciardo, RB 15th: Kevin Magnussen, Haas — Formula 1 (@F1) March 1, 20241:00 left in Q2: Woof, Hulkenberg splits the Red Bulls to go second fastest. All the flying laps are about to come in as Hamilton, once again, slips into the elimination zone.
5:00 left in Q2: In the lull before the second flying laps and both Haas cars are in the elimination zone, with Magnussen yet to post a lap time. The RB duo of Tsunoda and Ricciardo are 12th and 13th, one place ahead of Alex Albon's Williams.
8:00 left in Q2: Verstappen wiggles out of the final corner on new tyres but that doesn't stop him going fastest. Perez tucks in behind his team mate but half a second slower.
START OF Q2: This session could be intriguing, given how bunched together the midfield was in Q1. Likely to be a real scrap to get into the top 10.
END OF Q1: Hamilton scraps his way up to 10th. Sainz, Stroll, Verstappen, Norris, Alonso and Perez are the top six. As feared, the Alpines and Kick Saubers are four of the five eliminated.
16th: Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber 17th: Zhou Guanyu, Kick Sauber 18th: Logan Sargeant, Williams 19th: Esteban Ocon, Alpine 20th: Pierre Gasly, Alpine0:00 left in Q1: Hamilton drops down into the bottom five. What has he got on this final hot lap?
1:30 left in Q1: Everyone on track aside from Sainz, who is still sitting pretty at the top of the time sheets.
4:00 left in Q1: Hamilton is into the pits, his Mercedes having sparked heavily and almost got in the way of Logan Sargeant's Williams. As it stands, it's doubtful his time will be enough to stay in the top 15.
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 1, 20246:00 left in Q1: Sainz nails the middle section, he's quickest through there. And brings it home to go a tenth faster than Verstappen.
7:00 left in Q1: Max Verstappen completes his first flying lap and goes quickest ahead of Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton is seven-tenths off the pace in 10th.
9:00 left in Q1: Alex Albon goes quickest with a 1:30.6 that Nico Hulkenberg is fractionally inside.
12:00 left in Q1: Handling is not especially straightforward in these conditions and Pierre Gasly's first attempt at getting a time on the board is chalked off after he went beyond the track limits.
14:00 left in Q1: The Ferraris are on the board, with Sainz five-hundredths of a second quicker than Leclerc with a 1:31.208. Fair pedestrian stuff so far.
18:00 left in Q1: The green lights are on. Who will take the first pole position of the 2024 season? The Ferraris are out on their medium compound tyres.
5 mins to lights out: The grandstands have filled up under the lights for this night session. A fair few thick coats and hoodies in there, it must be said! We're ready to go.
15 mins to lights out: If Sainz can back up his practice performance with pole, it would stand as an emphatic response to being left out in the cold by Lewis Hamilton signing for Ferrari. As things stand, Sainz does not have a drive for 2025. He spoke to reporters in Sakhir on Wednesday.
I don't know where I’m going and I don't know what will be my best option. What I know is I’m going to maximise my last year at Ferrari. I really want to have a good last year in this incredible team and give my absolute best for everyone in Maranello.
Regarding my future, the situation changed quite a lot over the winter. Now I’m going to take my time to decide where I go. We’re obviously going to speak to all the options available and see what’s the best for my career and the best project that gives me the possibility to become world champion in the end, it's my dream and the thing I want to do as soon as possible.
40 mins to lights out: The conditions in Bahrain are unusually blustery. Strong winds could prove to be a real wildcard element around the Sakhir circuit's high-speed corners.
1 hour to light out: It would be a brave person who bets against Verstappen finishing on pole when the action gets underway, but anything other than continued dominance from Red Bull this weekend will be viewed through a harsh lense, given the ongoing controversy off the track concerning team principal Christian Horner. Find out all the latest news here.
1 hr 30 mins to lights out: Red Bull won an astonishing 21 of the 22 races on the 2023 calendar. The man who prevented a clean sweep, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz topped the time sheets in final practice ahead of compatriot Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin. World champion Max Verstappen was third ahead of Sainz's team-mate Charles Leclerc, with Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull down in eighth. The Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were sixth and 12th respectively.
2 hours to lights out: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of the first Formula 1 qualifying session of the 2024 season. We're in Bahrain for the season opener as Max Verstappen looks to defend his world championship.
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— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) February 28, 2024 F1 2024 schedule: What time is Bahrain qualifying? UK USA Canada Australia India Date Friday, Mar 1 Friday, Mar 1 Friday, Mar 1 Saturday, Mar 2 Friday, Mar 1 Time 4 p.m. GMT 11 a.m. ET 11 a.m. ET 3 a.m. AEDT 9:30 p.m. IST F1 2024 schedule: What time is the Bahrain Grand Prix race? UK USA Canada Australia India Date Saturday, Mar 2 Saturday, Mar 2 Saturday, Mar 2 Sunday, Mar 3 Saturday, Mar 2 Time 3 p.m. GMT 10 a.m. ET 10 a.m. ET 2 a.m. AEDT 8:30 p.m. ISTBUY NOW: Latest F1 2024 merchandise on Fanatics - get kitted out with the best gear here!
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