Motor racing: Verstappen ‘positively surprised’ to be on pole for Bahrain Grand Prix
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen speaks in the pit lane after qualifying in pole position for the Bahrain grand prix.
PHOTO: AFP
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MANAMA – A new Formula One season has started, and champions Red Bull showed on Saturday they are still the team to beat after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez clinched a one-two in qualifying for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
Reigning world champion Verstappen took pole position with a fastest lap of 1min 29.708sec, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz qualified third and fourth, with Fernando Alonso lining up fifth for Aston Martin.
“It has been a bit of a tough start to the weekend yesterday and today not really finding my rhythm, but luckily in qualifying we managed to put the best pieces together,” said Verstappen of his 21st career pole.
“I am very happy to be on pole, and for the whole team coming off last year and again having such a strong car with Checo up there.
“I was actually positively surprised to be on pole after the struggles I had in practice. It is amazing and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Alonso kept Verstappen off the top of the timesheets in final practice on Saturday as Aston Martin continued to impress, and starting in fifth is still remarkable for the team.
Behind Alonso on Sunday, in sixth and seventh, are the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton respectively.
Leclerc was cautiously optimistic about Ferrari’s chances, with the team hot on Red Bull’s heels.
“I think we were in the fight for pole, which was a good surprise, to be honest, because I did not expect that after testing and after free practices,” he said.
“We managed to find that pace for the qualifying, which was great. We need to keep in our mind that on the race runs, we seemed to be a little bit on the back foot compared to Red Bull.”
The race will be the first as Ferrari team boss for Fred Vasseur, who is relishing the pressure in his role.
The Frenchman moved to the sport’s oldest and most successful team in January from Swiss-based Sauber, who compete as Alfa Romeo, as replacement for departed team principal Mattia Binotto.
Ferrari, who were runners-up last season, have not won a championship since the 2008 constructors’ title but expectations are always high.
“For sure the expectations are different,” Vasseur said when asked about the experience so far compared to his previous job.
“What we are doing, it’s much more visible for everybody but honestly I love the pressure and the target is to win. I am very keen to have this kind of target and this kind of motivation every day.”
Vasseur is Ferrari’s fifth team principal in less than a decade. The Italian outfit are the third team he has led, after stints at Renault before Sauber, and he also has decades of experience from the junior series. REUTERS, AFP
