Formula 1: Leclerc takes pole position in Bahrain - Schumacher with the best starting position of his career

Created: 03/19/2022, 17:13

By: Florian Schimak

Formula 1 starts the new season on Sunday.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc secured pole position ahead of Max Verstappen.

Update from March 19, 5:10 p.m .:

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has secured the first pole position of the year.

The Monegasque won qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, on Sunday (4:00 p.m. CET/Sky) he will start the race in front of world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull and his team-mate Carlos Sainz.

For Leclerc it is the tenth pole of his career, for Ferrari the first since the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan last June.

Record world champion Lewis Hamilton put the weakening Mercedes in fifth place, his new teammate George Russell was only ninth.

Mick Schumacher finished twelfth in the significantly improved Haas and thus achieved the best starting position of his Formula 1 career right at the beginning of his second year.

His new teammate Kevin Magnussen even made it to seventh place, last year the Haas was still the weakest car in the field.

Aston Martin's reserve pilot Nico Hülkenberg, who replaces Sebastian Vettel, who is suffering from Corona, narrowly missed the second part of qualifying and took 17th place. The Rhinelander was faster than teammate Lance Stroll (19th) right away, although he was in free practice at the sat in this car for the first time on Friday.

Strong Ferrari!

Mick Schumacher's teammate also surprises in Formula 1 training at the Bahrain GP

First report from March 19, 3:14 p.m .:

Munich/Sakhir – It’s finally starting again!

Formula 1 starts the new season - and right from the first race at the Bahrain GP in Sakhir there are signs of a small bang!

A duel between Red Bull and Ferrari for the first pole position of the year is looming.

In the final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, world champion Max Verstappen set the best time, but at 1:32.544 minutes he was only 96 thousandths of a second ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.

• Track name:

  Bahrain International Circuit at as-Sakhir, Sakhir

• Route length:

  5.412 km

• Race length:

  308.238 km in 57 laps

• Fastest lap:

  1:30.252 (2004, Michael Schumacher, Ferrari)

• Record winner:

  Lewis Hamilton (5)

also read

Leclerc takes first Formula 1 pole of the year

Monegasque Charles Leclerc raced to the first pole position of the new Formula 1 season.

The Ferrari driver will start from the front at the Grand Prix opener in Bahrain on Sunday (4:00 p.m. CET/Sky).

It was his tenth career pole.

Leclerc takes first Formula 1 pole of the year

Superstar in “attack mode”: Hamilton in the new Silver Arrow

Slim, elegant and, above all, silver-colored again.

The new Mercedes for the Hamilton attack on world champion Verstappen is here.

And the superstar himself even more so.

Superstar in “attack mode”: Hamilton in the new Silver Arrow

Verstappen's Red Bull colleague Sergio Perez (+0.247) ended up in third place.

As announced, Mercedes was a bit behind the leaders, but at least since the Friday practice session they have improved.

George Russell (+0.391) was fourth, record world champion Lewis Hamilton (+0.577) took sixth place behind Carlos Sainz (+0.509) in the second Ferrari.

Formula 1: Free practice at the Bahrain GP!

Exciting fight for pole is on the horizon

The two Germans performed differently than on Friday.

Mick Schumacher, eighth in the second practice session, finished 14th in the Haas (+1.751).

Nico Hülkenberg, who replaces Sebastian Vettel, who is suffering from Corona, at Aston Martin, finished twelfth (+1.427).

The day before it had only been enough for 17th place.

Charles Leclerc (r.) drove a strong free practice session.

© IMAGO / Motorsport Images

However, the Haas, which was the weakest car in the field last year, should be a little more possible for Schumacher.

His teammate Kevin Magnussen (+0.893) was seventh on Saturday and both cars made it into the top 10 on Friday.

Qualifying in the afternoon German time (4:00 p.m. CET/Sky) will take place under different conditions anyway.

The sun goes down, the track temperatures then drop.

The race on Sunday will also take place under floodlights.