After much pre-season speculation, Max Verstappen showcased guiding his Red Bull RB20 to pole position in qualifying and positioning himself as a strong contender for victory in tomorrow’s Bahrain Grand Prix. While the outcome was widely anticipated, the margin of his lead wasn’t as pronounced as predicted, with only a two-tenth gap separating him from second-place Leclerc.

Despite expectations for a larger gap, Verstappen’s Red Bull typically holds a significant advantage in race trim performance, suggesting Verstappen may comfortably pull ahead during the race.

Following Verstappen, the competition was fierce, with Leclerc and Russell securing second and third positions respectively, their lap times closely matched. However, Lewis Hamilton trailed Russell by an additional two-tenths, relegating him to ninth place on the grid due to the tight competition.

Both McLarens managed to secure spots in the top 10, as did Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. A surprise entry came from Nico Hülkenberg, clinching tenth place for Hass Racing. Sergio Perez, despite his efforts, couldn’t quite match his teammate Verstappen’s pace, settling for fifth place on the grid.

While Verstappen seems poised for a straightforward victory, uncertainties linger. Pre-season testing indicated Red Bull’s superiority in race simulations, but whether this translates into Grand Prix success remains to be seen. Tomorrow’s race will reveal whether the test data accurately reflects the RB20’s performance in full race trim.

2024 Bahrain Grand Prix: Results

1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull 1:29.179

2 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +0.228

3 George RUSSELL Mercedes +0.306

4 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +0.328

5 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull +0.358

6 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +0.363

7 Lando NORRIS McLaren +0.435

8 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +0.504

9 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +0.531

10 Nico HULKENBERG Haas +1.323

11 Yuki TSUNODA RB 1:30.129

12 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +0.071

13 Alexander ALBON Williams +0.093

14 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +0.149

15 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas +0.400

16 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber 1:30.756

17 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +0.001

18 Logan SARGEANT Williams +0.014

19 Esteban OCON Alpine +0.037

20 Pierre GASLY Alpine +0.192