Oscar Piastri placed his McLaren on pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix, though it was a far closer battle than some had anticipated.

With Mercedes moving into a provisional front-row lockout, Piastri held his nerve and secured pole in Bahrain, with Russell joining him on the front row for Mercedes. It is P6 for Norris and P7 for Verstappen only on the grid, a shock and disastrous result for the championship’s top two.

Bahrain GP: Piastri excels, Verstappen and Norris falter

After a story of McLaren dominance throughout practice, and insistence from Lando Norris that the papaya team were not clear out front, it was time for answers as Bahrain qualifying got underway.

A 1:32.3 from Fernando Alonso was the early benchmark for the pack to chase, a time which Haas’ Esteban Ocon was delayed in trying to topple as his crew went to work inside the cockpit, Ocon suited up but watching on.

Verstappen meanwhile returned to the Red Bull garage at the end of his first push lap, a major lock-up at the final turn sending him into the run-off.

“There’s something really wrong with the car,” was the concerning radio message from Verstappen on that moment.

Yuki Tsunoda did complete his opening lap in the sister Red Bull, but saw it quickly chalked off for track limits at Turn 3.

As McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all joined the action, Norris took over top spot with a 1:31.107, just under three-tenths up on McLaren team-mate and closest challenger Oscar Piastri.

Alpine’s Jack Doohan going P3 was an eye-catcher, while at the bottom, the pressure was on for Verstappen and Tsunoda going into the final Q1 runs, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar and Lance Stroll also in the elimination zone.

With Verstappen requiring a second set of soft tyres to clear the Q1 hurdle, it meant potential implications for Q3, should he make that stage.

Verstappen delivered under the pressure to break into the top three, while Oliver Bearman, Stroll, Bortoleto, Liam Lawson and Alex Albon were out in Q1.

Onto Q2 and just as the first flying runs began, the session was red flagged after a heavy crash for Ocon at Turn 3.

The Haas driver was thankfully unhurt in the shunt which came about after he got all out of shape exiting Turn 2, before losing control through the high-speed Turn 3 with the rear of his VF-25 clattering the barrier.

The session resumed with 11 minutes left on the Q2 clock and all 15 drivers still requiring a time on the board.

Verstappen aborted his first attempt, as Piastri went P1, a tenth up on Norris. Leclerc meanwhile was P3 and half a second further back!

Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli meanwhile were placed under FIA investigation for leaving the garage before the Q2 resumption time was confirmed.

As the chequered flag fell on Q2, McLaren had seen their advantage slashed to under two-tenths by Pierre Gasly, while for Ocon, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Hadjar and Doohan, they were out.

Verstappen and Tsunoda were the slowest drivers advancing to Q3.

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Verstappen’s struggles continued into the pole position shootout.

“My brakes are just terrible. I can’t brake at all. So bad,” he reported on the radio.

It was provisional pole for Piastri meanwhile, his 1:30.233 putting him just over a tenth up on Russell who was set to join him on the front row.

But, another round of laps were to come.

Before that though, news filtered through that a lap time deletion for Hulkenberg from Q1 had just been finalised, swapping he and Albon around, an unusual situation with Albon having missed the Q2 cut due to that Hulkenberg lap standing at the time.

Back to the pole position battle though, and as Mercedes and Leclerc found time, Piastri responded to snatch back Bahrain GP pole, with Norris only P6.

Q3 times

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:29.841
2 George Russell Mercedes +0.168
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.334
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.372
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.375
6 Lando Norris McLaren +0.426
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.582
8 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.839
9 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.931
10 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +1.462

Q2 times

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:30.454
2mLando Norris McLaren +0.106
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.189
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.210
5 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.262
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.270
7 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.390
8 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.555
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.565
10 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.774
—-
11 Jack Doohan Alpine +0.791
12 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.817
13 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +1.239
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.432
15 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team

Q1 times

1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:31.107
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.112
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.196
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.285
5 Jack Doohan Alpine +0.307
6 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.308
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.347
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.355
9 George Russell Mercedes +0.387
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.484
11 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.484
12 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +0.487
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.527
14 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.644
15 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +0.891
—-
16 Alexander Albon Williams +0.933
17 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.058
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +1.079
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.176
20 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +1.266

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