Red Bull driver Max Verstappen on Saturday (March 28) thumped world champion Lewis Hamilton by a staggering 0.388s to take a sensational pole place within the first qualifying session of 2021.
Verstappen has marked himself out as the person to beat all weekend in Bahrain, the Dutchman topping the instances in all three follow classes and constructing on that kind by winding up his efficiency by means of every section of qualifying.
He pipped Hamilton by 0.023s after the primary runs in Q3 and although Hamilton improved on his second-timed lap, the chasing Verstappen was going faster too with purple instances in all three sectors to transfer again forward for back-to-back pole positions for the primary time in his profession.
Jump onboard with @Max33Verstappen for the scorching lap that put him on pole for Sunday’s race in Bahrain #BahrainGP #F1 @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/tuM1M4iBxB
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 27, 2021
Mercedes could have been pipped, however with Valtteri Bottas slotting into third, it confirmed that the Silver Arrows had made huge features from pre-season testing and are very a lot within the struggle with Red Bull for the spoils, as F1 loved a real two-team battle for pole place.
Charles Leclerc set among the finest laps of his profession to go fourth quickest for Ferrari, only a tenth behind the Mercedes of Bottas, to recommend the Prancing Horse have made spectacular progress over the winter following their worst season for 4 a long time.
Pierre Gasly will begin fifth – equalling his best-ever Bahrain efficiency – after an excellent exhibiting all through qualifying. The AlphaTauri driver is one in every of solely 4 drivers within the prime 10 to begin the race on the mediums, so is in a really sturdy place by way of technique for Sunday’s race.
Daniel Ricciardo beat his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to sixth, with Carlos Sainz failing to enhance on his second run and ending up eighth, half a second behind Leclerc. His countryman Fernando Alonso hit the bottom working on his return to F1 with Alpine after two years away from the game with ninth, as Lance Stroll closed out the highest 10 for Aston Martin.
It wasn’t such excellent news for his new teammate Sebastian Vettel, who was dumped out within the first a part of qualifying and can begin 18th, whereas the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez failed to make Q3 as he ended up eleventh.
(With ANI inputs)
