Roundup of FP3 and Qualifying as Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the 2024 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Reigning three-time champion, Verstappen overcame the challenge of Ferrari to take pole position like he did last season at the season-opener, whilst Mercedes’ George Russell managed third on the grid in an impressive drive for the Brit.
Now, here is a full roundup of FP3 and Qualifying for the 2024 Bahrain GP.
FP1
A quiet start to the session sw nobody venture out in the opening seven minutes until Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton hit the track a minute later, and the seven-time champion procceeded to set a benchmark 1m 32.733 on the soft tyre in the 10th minute.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Aston Martin’s Lance all went on to set the fastest lap in the following ten minutes, with Stroll sat top on 1m 32.327 in the 20th minute only for Russell to set 1m 31.821 two minutes later to go quickest.
Fernando Alonso eventually sat fastest at the halfway mark of the session with 1m 31.582 ahead of Russell and Leclerc, whilst Verstappen and Sergio Perez were the only drivers to not set their best lap on the soft tyre in the first half – with the Red Bull pair having instead ran the hard tyre.
Perez was first to attempt the final Qualifying simulations and went quickest on 1m 31.248 in the 44th minute, only for Verstappen to go faster by 0.186 seconds just a minute later.
Alonso responded in the 48th minute with 1m 30.965 to return to the summit but the two-time champion was beaten by his Spanish compatriot, Carlos Sainz who finished FP3 on top with 1m 30.824 ahead of Alonso and Verstappen.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1m 30.824 |
| 2 | Ferando Alonso | Aston Martin | + 0.141 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | + 0.238 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | + 0.270 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | + 0.294 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | + 0.366 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | + 0.386 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | + 0.424 |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | + 0.454 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | + 0.572 |
| 11 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | + 0.625 |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | + 0.628 |
| 13 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | + 0.807 |
| 14 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | + 0.847 |
| 15 | Alex Albon | Williams | + 1.141 |
| 16 | Gunayu Zhou | Stake | + 1.176 |
| 17 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake | + 1.272 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | + 1.300 |
| 19 | Logan Sargant | Williams | + 1.301 |
| 20 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | + 1.558 |
Qualifying
Q1
Ferrari’s Sainz and Leclerc were straight out on medium tyres as were Alpine’s Ocon and Gasly and it was Sainz who set a benchmark time of 1m 31.208 in the fourth minute, whilst Gasly’s time was deleted after he exceeded track limits at Turn 13.
Everyone else ventured straight out on the soft tyre and once everyone completed their first flying lap, Verstappen headed the order with 1m 30.031 ahead of Norris and Alonso.
Ferrari consequently sent Sainz and Leclerc back out on softs as everyone else pitted and Sainz went quickest with 1m 29.909, which left Zhou, Bottas, Magnussen, Ocon and Gasly sat in the bottom five heading into the final five minutes of the opening Qualifying segment.
As the checkered flag fell, Gasly remained last behind Ocon as Alpine locked out the back row with Sargeant just ahead of them in 18th position, whilst Bottas outqualified Zhou by just 0.001s in 16th and 17th positions respectively on Sauber’s return to F1 under the Stake Kick Sauber name.
Q2
Haas’ Hulkenberg and Magnussen were first out on track in Q2 with the German setting 1m 30.997 as the initial benchmark, only for several drivers to quickly eclipse his lap time.
Once everyone completed their opening laps in the segment, Verstappen headed the order with 1m 29.374 whilst the bottom five compromised of; Hulkenberg, Tsunoda, Ricciardo, Albon and Magnussen, although Magnussn’s time was deleted after he exceeded track limits at Turn 7.
Once the checkered flag fell, only Hulkenberg survived but his teammate – Magnussen only qualified 15th behind Tsunoda, Stroll, Albon and Ricciardo.
Leclerc meanwhile finished the segment as the fastest driver with 1m 29.165 ahead of Verstappen and Sainz.
Q3
Hulknberg again was first out on track but Verstappen quickly set the pace with 1m 29.421 ahead of Leclerc, Russell, Sainz, whilst Norris found himself fifth on used soft tyres ahead of; Perez, Hamilton, Hulkenbrg and Piastri.
Alonso meanwhile opted to do his sole Q3 flying lap in the gap and delivered 1m 29.541 to go third-fastest, before the rest of the top ten ventured out for their final runs.
Verstappen ultimately clung on to secure pole for the race with 1m 29.179 as Leclerc fell 0.228s shy with Russell third ahead of; Sainz, Perez, Alonso, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton and Hulkenberg.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1m 29.179 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | + 0.228 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | + 0.306 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | + 0.328 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | + 0.358 |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | + 0.363 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren | + 0.435 |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | + 0.504 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | + 0.531 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | + 1.323 |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 1m 30.129 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | + 0.071 |
| 13 | Alex Albon | Williams | + 0.092 |
| 14 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | + 0.149 |
| 15 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | + 0.400 |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake | 1m 30.756 |
| 17 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake | + 0.001 |
| 18 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | + 0.014 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | + 0.037 |
| 20 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | + 0.192 |