Max Verstappen will start his first race as world champion tomorrow from the front row, but from P2. In Bahrain, Charles Leclerc was a fraction faster than the Limburger in the Ferrari.
By Arjan Schouten
The winter tests didn’t lie. Ferrari is strong, very strong. The battle for pole for the opening race in Bahrain was only between Max Verstappen and the two Scuderia drivers. Charles Leclerc eventually came out on top in 1.30.558, 0.1 second behind Verstappen and Carlos Sainz was again six thousandths of a second slower than the Dutchman. Differences from nothing at the top, where Sergio Pérez followed at four tenths of a second on P4, as the second Red Bull driver.
It was significant that the Mexican simply managed to hold off Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes, 0.7 seconds the seven-time world champion had to give in to Leclerc. Newcomer George Russell even had to be satisfied with P9, still behind Valtteri Bottas in the Alfa and comeback man Kevin Magnussen in the Haas. The first qualifying in this new era was certainly full of surprises, with no fewer than seven out of ten teams represented in the decisive Q3. Except for Williams, McLaren and Aston Martin, all cars made it to the final stage.
So with Ferrari in the lead. Leclerc grabbed his first pole since Baku nine months ago. “I am very happy with that,” said the Monegask, who thinks Ferrari can go much faster. ,,This year is so different for drivers, we are still figuring everything out, learning. It could be so much better.”
Leclerc was surprised with pole, had thought that Red Bull Racing would be ‘slightly faster’. ,,It was a bit ‘hit and miss’ today”, said Verstappen, who did not make a disaster of P2, behind a Ferrari. ,,It was just a great start, this. Have a good day,” said the world champion. ,,There is a fight, with Carlos and Charles so close to us, that makes it fun, of course.”
Racing stable with homework: Mercedes. Toto Wolff was already afraid of it, the Germans got a lot of work. Hamilton limited the damage on P5, George Russell only starts in ninth. Three places behind Valtteri Bottas, who had to make way for Russell at Mercedes and only five places for Alexander Albon who got into Russell’s car at Williams.
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