SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2019 16 Leclerc claims maiden pole Charles Leclerc pips Sebastian Vettel to Bahrain F1 pole on Ferrari’s day Sebastian Vettel last year. world champion Lewis Ham- jean in the second Haas, Kimi playing catch-up after a team er- Lewis Hamilton Vettel qualified second to ilton was less than a tenth of a Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo and ror sent him out in heavy traffic. • clinch a Ferrari lockout of the second behind Vettel in third British rookie Lando Norris in “That was the worst spot third fastest, Valtteri front row and was quick to con- ahead of Mercedes team-mate the second McLaren. ever” he complained before Bottas fourth gratulate his new team-mate Valtteri Bottas. After a quiet start in the cooler climbing to second and a top 10 who shone in only his second “The Ferraris have been in- conditions, the track tempera- 21 shootout place. year old Charles AFP | Manama race weekend with the team. credibly quick here,” said Ham- ture having dropped from close Leclerc is the second Out went Renault’s Daniel “He deserved it,” said Vettel ilton. to 50 degrees Celsius to a little youngest to take F1 Ricciardo, pipped by Raikko- errari new boy Charles “Yes, come on!” said Leclerc, more than 30, it was the embry- pole nen, British-based Thai rookie Leclerc secured his first who is 10 years younger than his ‘Worst spot ever’ onic championship leader Bottas Alex Albon of Toro Rosso, Pierre Fpole position yesterday team-mate. “But that is not all there is to who briefly set the early Q1 pace Gasly of Red Bull, Mexican Ser- when he set a new track record “Tomorrow is the race and it and we have to sit down and before Leclerc rocketed to the men eliminated were Antonio gio Perez of Racing Point and by topping a dramatic qualifying it’s where we score points, but work out a way to try and beat top by a second. Giovinazzi of Alfa Romeo, Nico Russian Daniil Kvyat of Toro session for Sunday’s Bahrain it’s a good beginning… It seems them.” Vettel slotted in as second Hulkenberg of Renault, Lance Rosso. Grand Prix. like we did a good job so I am Dutchman Max Verstappen of fastest ahead of Bottas and Stroll of Racing Point and the Mercedes were first out for The 21-tear-old Formula One extremely happy.” Red Bull came in fifth ahead of Sainz with Hamilton adrift of his two Williams men British rookie Q3, but it made no difference as, rookie became the first Mone- Leclerc became the second Dane Kevin Magnussen of Haas. team-mate by two-tenths before George Russell and Pole Robert after Hamilton outpaced Bot- gasque driver ever to take pole youngest pole-sitter in F1 histo- Carlos Sainz was seventh for a he improved to third and within Kubica. tas, Leclerc equalled the qual- for a world championship race. ry behind Vettel, who qualified resurgent seven-tenths of the Monegasque The Q2 session began with ifying lap record set by Vettel Leclerc lapped the Bahrain three-tenths behind him. McLaren driver. Bottas again before Ham- in 1:27.958 before trimming it International Circuit in one “In the end, I think Charles ahead of Norris delivered an impres- ilton and then Leclerc on his second rapid minute and 27.866 seconds, did a very good job and he de- Romain sive lap to go through in fourth trimmed the best time run. beating the mark set by his served it. I was a bit shy in the Gros- while, after a final scrap, the to 1:28.046, leaving Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles team-mate and second sector,” said Vettel. Vettel Leclerc steers his car during the third four-time Five-time practice session ahead of the Formula champion One Bahrain Grand Prix BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2019 - QUALIFYING Mick Schumacher eighth on F2 debut POS DRIVER CAR Q1 Q2 Q3 LAPS 1 Charles Leclerc FERRARI 1:28.495 1:28.046 1:27.866 14 AFP | Manama 2 Sebastian Vettel FERRARI 1:28.733 1:28.356 1:28.160 14 ick Schumacher finished 3 Lewis Hamilton MERCEDES 1:29.262 1:28.578 1:28.190 16 Meighth, after qualifying 10th, 4 Valtteri Bottas MERCEDES 1:29.498 1:28.830 1:28.256 15 on his debut with the Prema Rac- 5 Max Verstappen RED BULL RACING HONDA 1:29.579 1:29.109 1:28.752 12 ing team in yesterday’s Formula Two race at the Bahrain Grand 6 Kevin Magnussen HAAS FERRARI 1:29.532 1:29.017 1:28.757 15 Prix. 7 Carlos Sainz MCLAREN RENAULT 1:29.528 1:29.055 1:28.813 17 The 20-year-old son of sev - 8 Romain Grosjean HAAS FERRARI 1:29.688 1:29.249 1:29.015 17 en-time Formula One world cham- 9 Kimi Räikkönen ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 1:29.959 1:29.471 1:29.022 18 pion Michael Schumacher drove 10 Lando Norris MCLAREN RENAULT 1:29.381 1:29.258 1:29.043 18 an assured and clean race in hot conditions at the Bahrain Inter- 11 Daniel Ricciardo RENAULT 1:29.859 1:29.488 12 national Circuit. 12 Alexander Albon SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO HONDA 1:29.514 1:29.513 15 He races in the second F2 race 13 Pierre Gasly RED BULL RACING HONDA 1:29.900 1:29.526 12 on Sunday and tests with the Fer- 14 Sergio Perez RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 1:29.893 1:29.756 12 rari and Alfa Romeo F1 teams at the same circuit next week. Mick Schumacher steers his Formula 2 PREMA Racing car during a practice session 15 Daniil Kvyat SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO HONDA 1:29.876 1:29.854 10 His father Michael, who suffered 16 Antonio Giovinazzi ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 1:30.026 6 serious head injuries in a skiing who has remained in private care Sunday’s ‘reverse grid’ main race 17 Nico Hulkenberg RENAULT 1:30.034 6 accident in December, 2013, won ever since that accident, at the ahead of the F1 Grand Prix. 18 Lance Stroll RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 1:30.217 6 five of his unprecedented seven time. The race was won by Williams 19 George Russell WILLIAMS MERCEDES 1:31.759 8 titles with Ferrari. Schumacher’s eighth place finish team reserve driver Canadian Mick was skiing with his father, secured pole position for him in Nicholas Latifi. 20 Robert Kubica WILLIAMS MERCEDES 1:31.799 8 Hamilton: Ferrari “found a lot more speed on the straights” RaceFans | Manama this weekend’s race behind the first race of 2019, Hamilton said two-tenths, just on straight-line two Ferrari drivers. Asked in his car’s balance feels good. speed. So that’s a significant ewis Hamilton says Ferrari’s today’s FIA press conference to “For us the car has felt OK, it’s amount.” Ladvantage over Mercedes at explain the difference between just I think the over the years He indicated the team should Bahrain is chiefly down to their them he said: “A lot of it is on the bumps in this circuit hav- be more competitive in race superior straight-line speed. the straights. Not all of it. So en’t suited our car for whatever trim. “We’ve got work to do but But the world champion also somehow they’ve managed to reason. I think we’ve got it into the race pace I think was better said the Bahrain International find a lot more speed on the quite a nice place today. for Valtteri [Bottas] yesterday, he Circuit hasn’t suited Mercedes straights.” “In the straights was really looked really good on long run well in recent years. Despite not being able to rep- where we lost a lot of time. Sec- on the soft. So I’m hopeful that Hamilton qualified third for licate his pole position from the tor we’re losing three tenths, Lewis Hamilton steers his car as he leaves the pit during the qualifying session we have that tomorrow.”.