Max Verstappen qualified on pole position for the first time this year at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on a rare off day for Mercedes and Formula 1 standings leader Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen went fastest by 0.298 of a second from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar .130 further back in third.
It was an “incredible result for us looking at the season,” Verstappen said. “I felt good, felt confident and I hope we can show that again tomorrow.”
Verstappen won the last time F1 raced at the Sepang circuit back in 2017. His pole position is the first this year for a car powered by a non-Mercedes engine, The Associated Pr ess said.
Antonelli qualified only fourth, with his Mercedes teammate and closest title challenger George Russell only eighth. Both are set to move up a place on the grid for Sunday's race because Hadjar has a five-place grid penalty for changing his engine over the allocation for the season.
Hamilton's second place came as a relief to the seven-time champion amid a slump in results at Ferrari, which has denied speculation over team principal Fred Vasseur's future.
“Let’s go guys, let’s go. Finally,” Hamilton said over the radio.
Once again, the weather in Malaysia stayed dry for Saturday's sessions despite predictions of heavy rain earlier in the week.
F1 is racing at Malaysia's Sepang circuit for the first time since 2017. The race keeps Bahrain Grand Prix branding and Bahraini staff are organizing it on site.
