Max Verstappen ends pole drought in Sepang heat as Lewis Hamilton claims front-row spot
Four-time champion Max Verstappen leads Lewis Hamilton on a re-arranged Bahrain Grand Prix grid, while engine penalties and track-limit mistakes reshape the pursuit behind them.
Max Verstappen has ended his pole drought in the searing heat of Malaysia, securing the first pole position of the season for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Dutch driver, currently sixth in the championship, topped the times in qualifying with a best lap time of 1:35.130, outpacing Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds. Verstappen's victory marks his first start at the front of the grid since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton claimed the front-row spot for the second consecutive race, securing his best starting spot since winning in Catalonia in June. The race is being held in Malaysia due to disruption in the Gulf, with the track temperatures reaching the mid-50s on a low-grip, high-degradation circuit.
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