MAX VERSTAPPEN "UNEXPECTEDLY" ON POLE FOR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

Max Verstappen started the 2024 season without surprises, he was the fastest in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Flying Dutchman beat Charles Leclerc by two tenths to secure his 33rd career pole position.

Red Bull did not lead in any practice session, neither in Q1 and Q2, in which Ferrari were very competitive.

But Max Verstappen, with a "mini slipstream" involved in his final lap of Q3, was fastest and will start the first race of the season on Pole.

Charles Leclerc was really close but couldn't beat him. Monegasque posted a faster time in Q2 that would have been enough to beat Verstappen, but he failed to repeat it.

George Russell, with a good gap to Lewis Hamilton, placed him in the third starting position, ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. who had to settle for fourth, but the impression remains that the Ferrari drivers could and had to do much more.

Sergio Perez was far behind his teammate and will share the third starting row with Fernando Alonso, who once again easily beat Lance Stroll, who failed to make it to the final segment.

The Spaniard was 57 thousandths away from third place with an Aston Martin car that did not look that strong in the pre-season test session.

It should be noted that the difference from 2nd to 9th place is minimal and all drivers are placed in only 3 tenths.

Equality seems to have arrived in Formula 1, and any slight mistake or not fully pushing the car pays dearly, as Lando Norris, P7, Oscar Piastre, P8 and Lewis Hamilton, P9 saw today.

The action continues with the race for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is scheduled for tomorrow, SATURDAY, at 16:00 Central European Time.