Bahrain Grand Prix: Max Verstappen on pole from Sergio Perez as Red Bull lock out front row

Max Verstappen led a Red Bull one-two arsenic helium took rod presumption for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso made an awesome commencement to his clip astatine Aston Martin with 5th place, up of some Mercedes cars.

George Russell bushed Lewis Hamilton to sixth spot by conscionable 0.044secs.

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Leclerc had been 2nd aft the archetypal runs successful last qualifying, 0.103secs down Verstappen, but Ferrari chose not to bash a 2nd tally to alteration them to commencement the contention connected caller tyres alternatively than utilized truthful helium mislaid retired connected a 2nd accidental to effort to get ahead.

Red Bull went into the play arsenic beardown pre-season favourites but they person struggled to marque the car grip successful a mode that satisfied the drivers and had appeared not to person the vantage galore expected.

In the end, the grid had a look galore would person predicted aft investigating past week, but Verstappen said it had not been easy.

"It's been a spot of a pugnacious commencement to the play yesterday and today, not truly uncovering my rhythm," helium said. "But luckily successful qualifying we managed to enactment the pieces together.

"I was positively amazed to beryllium connected rod aft the struggles we had successful practice."

Perez said: "I don't retrieve specified a choky qualifying conflict from Q1 to Q2 to Q3. In the end, I wasn't wholly comfy with the equilibrium but to getting this benignant of commencement to the play with the squad was truly special."

Leclerc said Ferrari's determination to propulsion retired of the last conflict for rod was based connected the cognition that their tyre deterioration was not arsenic bully arsenic that of their rivals.

"There wasn't immoderate [technical] issue," helium said. "I deliberation we were successful the combat for pole, which was a bully astonishment aft the investigating and practices, which were a spot much difficult.

"However, we person to support successful caput that we person been struggling a spot connected the agelong tally and I deliberation we are successful a amended spot to commencement connected caller tyres.

"It was precise close. Aston Martin were precise quick, Mercedes were precise speedy astatine immoderate times. We are a batch person than we expected. In the contention run, we look to person spot of a weakness for now. Having a acceptable of caller tyres volition assistance us."

More to follow.

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