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Charles Leclerc claims a first pole position at Bahrain Grand Prix

Young driver takes top spot ahead of Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during qualifying for the Grand Prix of Bahrain. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images

Sat Mar 30 2019 - 16:36

Charles Leclerc upstaged Sebastian Vettel to claim his first pole position for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.

In only his second race for Ferrari, the young driver from Monaco put his car on pole, to beat Vettel by nearly a third of a second as the Italian team issued the perfect response to their troubles in Melbourne.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes had no answer to Ferrari's pace,with the world champion to line up third, with team-mate Valtteri Bottas fourth.

Mercedes ripped up the testing form book to dominate in Melbourne a fortnight ago, but the silver cars were handed a thrashing under the lamps that light up the Sakhir circuit.

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Yet, it was the performance of Leclerc who, aged just 21 years and five months, and in only his second season in F1, delivered a message of intent to elder statesman team-mate, Vettel.

Leclerc was not allowed to pass the four-time world champion in the closing stages of the season-opening race due to the German’s de facto number one status.

But the Ferrari hierarchy will surely be forced into a rethink given the impressive nature of Leclerc’s showing here.

Vettel, limited to just one shot at pole after making a mistake in the second phase of qualifying, will be alarmed.

So, too, will Hamilton and Mercedes as they could have been forgiven for leaving the first race with their sights set on a record-equalling sixth consecutive constructors’ championship.

Now they know they are in a fight, with Ferrari matching McLaren and Williams with their 62nd frontrow lockout.

Max Verstappen qualified fifth for Red Bull, while a rejuvenated McLaren managed to get both of their cars into Q3 for the first time since Malaysia 2017, with Carlos Sainz to line up sixth and British teenager Lando Norris 10th.

Williams are a team in deep crisis, and they will occupy the last row. British novice George Russell, and Robert Kubica were an eye-watering 1.5 sec slower than the next car.

QUALIFYING RESULTS
1 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1min 27.866secs, 2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:28.160, 3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:28.190, 4 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:28.256, 5 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:28.752, 6 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:28.757, 7 Carlos Sainz (Esp) McLaren 1:28.813, 8 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:29.015, 9 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:29.022, 10 Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:29.043, 11 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Renault 1:29.488, 12 Alexander Albon (Tha) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:29.513, 13 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Red Bull 1:29.526, 14 Sergio Perez (Mex) Racing Point 1:29.756, 15 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:29.854, 16 Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:30.026, 17 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:30.034, 18 Lance Stroll (Can) Racing Point 1:30.217, 19 George Russell (Gbr) Williams 1:31.759, 20 Robert Kubica (Pol) Williams 1:31.799

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