Leclerc takes pole ahead of champion Verstappen
SAKHIR, Bahrain – As Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc stunned Formula One champion Max Verstappen by taking a brilliant pole position Saturday for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton made the best of a bad situation for Mercedes by qualifying in fifth spot.
Verstappen was .015 seconds ahead of Leclerc on the last time split but the Red Bull star lost time to finish .123 seconds behind as his old teenage karting rival clinched the 10th pole position of his career.
“It was just a bit hit-and-miss getting the balance together,” Verstappen said. “Suddenly I lost a tenth (of a second) on a corner. Nevertheless it’s the first race of the season and we’re competitive.”
It is the same track where the 24year-old Leclerc from Monaco got his first pole, in his first season with Ferrari in 2019, earning him a phone call from friend Prince Albert of Monaco.
“It feels good. The last two years have been difficult for the team,” Leclerc said. “We were quite hopeful this was an opportunity to be back in the front.”
Hamilton made up ground for Mercedes
on his final run but never looked like securing a record-extending 104th pole and starts from a disappointing fifth place.
“Those guys ahead of us are on another level at the moment,” Hamilton said. “We’re not quick enough to win, but I told you that before.”
He starts behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in third.
“I hope we’ll make another step next week and bit by bit, we’ll hunt those guys down,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton’s ex-teammate Valtteri Bottas made it a sore day for Mercedes by placing sixth for his new team Alfa
Romeo, while his replacement George Russell was only ninth after losing one second on a poor last run.
“Today wasn’t ideal for me,” Russell said.
Mercedes looks a heavier car and appears to be struggling as others unexpectedly improve.
“We’re trying absolutely everything at the moment to solve our global issues with the car,” Russell said.
Haas uses Ferrari engines and is looking good, with the re-hired Kevin Magnussen showing it was maybe a mistake to fire him in 2020.