8th.
5:32 p.m
Max Verstappen’s new best time in Q2
Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, for his part, is already on a fresh softs and is confidently at the head of the field. He needed 1:29.374 minutes on his lap. Sergio Pérez is already half a second missing from his fresh set.
6.
5:31 p.m
New best time from Norris
McLaren
Lando Norris can add more on his used soft set and delivers the 1:29.941. Leclerc moves in behind him. It is also on a used set.
5.
5:30 p.m
Hülkenberg sets first time
Haas F1 Team
Nico Hülkenberg sets the first best time in Q2 with a 1:30.997. He is running on a used set of soft tires after using two softs in the first qualifying.
3.
5:27 p.m
The first drivers get started
The first drivers take to the track. Many in the field are on used soft tires. Verstappen, meanwhile, is driving on a fresh set of the softest compound out of the box.
1.
5:25 p.m
Q2 started
It continues with the Q2! This time the drivers have 15 minutes to grab a place in the top ten. Nobody can afford to be weak, because the gaps are narrow.
18.
5:19 p.m
Q1 finished
Q1 is over and Hülkenberg can breathe a sigh of relief. He made it into Q2 in 14th place. Bottas, Zhou, Sargeant, Ocon and Gasly are eliminated. Sainz keeps the best time.
18.
5:18 p.m
Stroll takes a big leap
Lance Stroll drives an extremely strong sector and this is a big step forward for the Aston Martin driver. He takes first place, just 0.056 seconds behind Sainz. Nico Hülkenberg is in trouble as he is currently 14th.
17.
5:17 p.m
Only Sainz stays in
Only Carlos Sainz decided not to go on the track again. Verstappen, like Alonso, Pérez and Russell, is on a used set of softs.
15.
5:15 p.m
The final minutes
For many drivers, they go out on the track again with a fresh set of softs. The final minutes of Q1 have begun!
13.
5:13 p.m
Who is currently out?
Currently eliminated are Zhou and Bottas from Kick Sauber, Kevin Magnussen and Ocon and Gasly from Alpine. The Racing Bulls also have to improve in places 14 and 15.
12.
5:12 p.m
Sainz with a new best time
Ferrari
Carlos Sainz has now also completed his first lap on the soft and goes straight past Verstappen. The Spaniard needed 1:29.909 minutes for his lap.
11.
17:11
Magnussen knocked off
Kevin Magnussen will be frustrated after his first flying lap. While Hülkenberg is still doing well in seventh place, he is only in 17th place and is currently one of the eliminated drivers.
10.
5:10 p.m
Max Verstappen’s new best time in Q1
Red Bull Racing
First Lando Norris moved ahead of Nico Hülkenberg, followed a little later by Max Verstappen, who was able to achieve a 1:30.031 on the soft tires. This puts him 0.1 seconds ahead of Norris. Hülkenberg is now in fourth place.
9.
5:09 p.m
New best time from Nico Hülkenberg in Q1
Haas F1 Team
There is movement in the time table. Nico Hülkenberg has completed his first flying lap and is in first position with a 1:30.623. Albon is close behind for the moment. But the top teams are all still on their round. The value of these rounds cannot yet be estimated.
8th.
5:08 p.m
Ferrari switches to soft
The two Ferrari drivers were also briefly back in the pits. They went from medium to soft tires. The entire field is currently on the outlaps.
6.
5:06 p.m
It starts to fill up
Now the route is gradually starting to fill up. As a result, there is now the traffic jam in the pit lane that was familiar from last season again.
5.
5:04 p.m
Little rush
Overall, there is little rush in the pit lane. There are still only four drivers doing their circles on the track.
3.
5:03 p.m
The first lap times
Ferrari
There are the first lap times. Carlos Sainz runs a 1:31.208 on the medium. Charles Leclerc crosses the line a little later, but has to find himself 0.052 seconds behind his teammate.
2.
5:01 p.m
The first drivers are on the way
The first drivers are already on the way. Ferrari and Alpine have already sent their drivers out. All four are on a medium tire.
1.
5:00 p.m
Start qualifying
It’s all set for the first qualifying of the new season! The first thing in Q1 is to secure a place in Q2. Compared to the third training session, the track temperature fell by almost ten degrees in the darkness.
16:54
The format
Nothing has changed in the qualifying format from last season. Q1 lasts 18 minutes and the five slowest drivers are eliminated. Another five drivers are allowed to pack in Q2, which lasts 15 minutes. The top 10 will then fight for pole for tomorrow’s race in Q3.
16:48
The route
The first race of another long season will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit. In the middle of the desert, the focus is always on the wind strength, because wind drifts can cause sand on the route. It measures 5.412 kilometers. Shortly after the easier ninth corner, you have to be careful in turn 10, because braking occurs more often there, which can cost valuable time.
16:47
How much can Mercedes claim?
There is a small question mark behind Mercedes’ strength. The Silver Arrows were extremely strong in the second training session, but today it became clear that they had already increased their performance. There was less going on in the final training compared to the big competitors. George Russell was the best Mercedes driver in sixth place, while Lewis Hamilton couldn’t do better than twelfth place.
4:40 p.m
Will Hülkenberg crack the top ten?
Nico Hülkenberg should look forward to qualifying positively. The German found himself in the top ten with his Haas in both the second and third training sessions and with his strength on one lap, he certainly has a good chance of making it to Q3.
16:36
Alpine is in crisis
While the field at the front is mixed, the training sessions at the end of the field showed a clear picture. Alpine was unable to keep up with the competition on either Friday or Saturday and ended up bringing up the rear. Kick Sauber was also not at the front with Zhou and Bottas.
4:30 p.m
Sainz wins final training
Carlos Sainz won the final training for the first qualifying of the 2024 season today. The Spaniard set a time of 1:30.824 minutes on the course, making him one and a half tenths of a second faster than his compatriot Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin. Max Verstappen in the Red Bull came third ahead of Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari and Lando Norris in the McLaren. But the big question remains how much Red Bull has already revealed to its competition.
Welcome to qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. At 5:00 p.m. the traffic lights turn green. We are happy!