Max Verstappen Pole Position

Max Verstappen swept to pole position for Formula 1’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, his and Red Bull’s first of the season.

Red Bull RB22 Performance

Red Bull’s RB22 suited Sepang’s medium- to high-speed sweeps and highly abrasive track surface, which facilitated massive tire degradation, with Verstappen setting a time of 1:35.130s to finish 0.298s clear of Ferrari driver Hamilton.

First Ford Engine Pole

It marked the first pole position in history for Red Bull Powertrains and the first for a Ford-affiliated engine since 1999.

Verstappen's Quote

We have been trying many grands prix to get pole, sometimes closer than others, said Verstappen. To finally get it after where we started the season is incredible.

“We have been trying many grands prix to get pole, sometimes closer than others”

Isack Hadjar Penalty

Isack Hadjar qualified third but was penalized and will start in eighth due to an engine penalty.

Mercedes Struggles

Mercedes struggled as Kimi Antonelli had a lap time deleted in Q2, impacting his run plan, while both he and George Russell struggled to extract performance from this year’s best all-round package.