Night has fallen in Bahrain, and it was time for qualifying, where we sought the answer to one crucial question: Can anyone beat McLaren?
Q1 was still very chaotic, with Alpine Jack Doohan taking the lead, but apart from that the French also put in a very impressive performance. Pierre Gasly showed great form, as did Isaac Hadjar, while both Red Bulls had serious difficulties. Ultimately, Max Verstappen only managed to get RB to third place, and McLaren – as expected – closed the lead, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Among the weakest were Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman.
Q2 didn't start well for Haas either, Esteban Ocon lost the rear of his car on the entry to the corner and damaged it badly. Red flag!
Of course, the battle behind the McLarens was worth paying attention to again, because there was a lot going on there. Yuki Tsunoda, for example, advanced to Q3, and Mercedes put in a very strong performance, while Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz also earned the right to run in the final phase. However, this was not the case for Jack Doohan, Isaac Hadjar, Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso or Esteban Ocon, who, as we know, retired early in the stage.
Then it was time for Q3 and the big question: Will McLaren have a rival? Kimi Antonelli, George Russell came out on top, but the orange cars were not caught this time. Only one of them, because qualifying was finally won by Oscar Piastri ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc, while Lando Norris only finished sixth – even Pierre Gasly and Kimi Antonelli were ahead of him... Tomorrow promises to be a really exciting race!
Photo: Motorsportweek
