Night has fallen in Bahrain and with it the qualifying period, where we were trying to answer only one crucial question: Will there be someone to beat McLaren?
Q1 was still a mess, with Jack Doohan's Alpine car spinning at the front, but the French drivers also delivered very impressive performances. Pierre Gasly was also in great form, as was Isaac Hadjar, while the two Red Bulls struggled mightily. In the end, Max Verstappen only brought the Red Bulls to third place, but at the front—as expected—a McLaren closed the gap, overtaking Lewis Hamilton. Among the losers were Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Oliver Bearman.
Q2 also didn't start well for Haas. Esteban Ocon lost the rear of his car in a corner and crashed heavily. A red flag followed!
Of course, the battle behind the McLarens was once again the most worthwhile, as there was plenty to see there. Yuki Tsunoda, for example, made it to Q3; the two Mercedes cars delivered a very strong performance, while Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz also earned the right to start in the final phase. However, Jack Doohan, Isaac Hadjar, Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Esteban Ocon, who had already retired at the beginning of the stage, were not able to do so.
Then came Q3, and the big question: Does McLaren have a rival? Kimi Antonelli and George Russell spun at the front, but the orange cars couldn't be caught this time. Or rather, only one could, as Oscar Piastri ultimately won the qualifying ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc, while Lando Norris only managed sixth place – even Pierre Gasly and Kimi Antonelli overtook him... Tomorrow will be a truly exciting race!
Photo: Motorsportweek
