After all the talk and posturing of pre-season testing and practice, the true pace of the grid was revealed with Red Bull’s Verstappen taking his 33rd career F1 pole by beating Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc, who produced a lap time in Q2 quick enough to take pole outright, will still be content with the front row having qualified ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and the sister Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.
Sergio Perez underwhelmed relative to his Red Bull team-mate in fifth, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Lewis Hamilton also struggled to ninth.
Nico Hulkenberg was a surprise Q3 contender to take 10th for Haas, but it was a nightmare qualifying for Alpine with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly on the back row of the grid.
Date: Saturday 2 March 2024
Start time: 6pm local time/3pm GMT
The first round of the 2024 F1 season, the Bahrain GP, gets under way at 6pm local time on Saturday 2 March.
Source: Autosport