Triple world champion Max Verstappen secured pole position for the opening round of the new Formula One season in Bahrain.
The Red Bull driver was made to work for the 33rd pole of his career at the Sakhir Circuit with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc second and George Russell third for Mercedes.
The first two grands prix of a record 24-race championship in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, are both being held under lights and on a Saturday.
Vertappen, who won from pole in Bahrain last year and ended up with 19 victories from 22 races in a dominant season, said he had enjoyed the day.
“It was a lot of fun actually, the track had a lot of grip but with the wind over the last few days, it's been quite tricky to get the whole lap together and it was the same in qualifying, in Q1, Q2 you go a bit faster with the track ramping up but to really get everything out of it in Q3 was a little bit difficult,” said the Dutchman.
“I'm very happy to be on pole, to be honest it was a little bit unexpected but in qualifying I think the car came to us and I felt a bit happier with the whole car.
“I said yesterday we need to fine tune a few things on the car to try to get that perfect balance, but with the wind that was not possible, but luckily we went in the right direction and we could really push a bit more with the car.”
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fourth under the Sakhir floodlights, while Red Bull's Sergio Perez will start fifth, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso sixth and McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seventh and eighth.
Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton – starting his final season at Mercedes – will line up in ninth place with Haas's Nico Hulkenberg a surprise 10th for the US-owned team.
“Everyone at the factory have done an amazing job to give Lewis and I a car we feel much happier with and a base we can build upon,” said Hamilton's teammate Russell.
“Obviously Max is right out there in front, we've still got some catching up to do but when we look at our qualifying performance over the last two years and our race pace, starting P3 in Bahrain is a great place.”
Ferrari driver Leclerc admitted he was “a bit disappointed” saying it had “been a tricky weekend so far”.
“We have tried a few things in [practice],” said the Monegasque. “Unfortunately, we put two new sets of softs on, so it compromised a little bit, the Q3. But it is quite a good qualifying, a good start of the year.
“We are in a better place compared to a year ago. Now we have to see the race pace tomorrow. I found the sweet spot in qualifying, but Q1 was a bit tricky.
“All in all, a positive quali. I'm confident we did a step forward, but we have to wait and see by how much of a step forward tomorrow. If there is an opportunity, as always, I will go for it.”
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%2C%20Manal%20Khader%2C%20Amer%20Daher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
The%20specs
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Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
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ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
