Bahrain - Qualifying

The second qualifying session of the season's first triple header took place on the Bahrain International Circuit. Due to the high temperatures and the scorching sun, it was held in the evening, at 7pm local time. Out of the ten teams, one was a clear favorite. The McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were lighting fast during the practice sessions, with either one or the other coming first in all three. But did they manage to keep the momentum as the qualifying hour began? 

The Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and the two Aston Martins were the first cars to go out onto the circuit. Most other drivers waited a few minutes longer, hoping to benefit from any improvements of the track. As soon as the McLarens performed their laps, they soared right to the top of the leaderboards. The situation didn't look as good for the two Red Bull drivers. They both went wide on the final corner, which resulted in neither having a time on the board as the other drivers began their second timed attempts. The pressure was on since they only had one shot at moving through to Q2. Thankfully for all Red Bull fans, they both managed to deliver when it mattered most. The first elimination zone of the day was made up of Albon, Lawson, Bortoleto, Stroll, and Bearman. 

Q2 began with an unexpected crash. Esteban Ocon put his car in the barriers not long after he began his first flying lap of the session. His incident brought out a red flag and the session was stopped until 7:37pm local time. The cars eagerly lined up at the end of the pitlane, waiting to go out on track as soon as they were allowed. The first runs were, once again, dominated by McLaren, while many other teams struggled with grip. Because of that, with only three minutes left in the session, five drivers had no time on the leaderboard. In the end, it was Doohan, Hadjar, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Ocon who finished their day early. 

It looked like Q3 was sure to be a private battle for the pole between Piastri and Norris. No other cars seemed close to catching the two, at least until Russell's first attempt split the two McLarens. His second attempt was even better, putting him on provisional pole. Piastri did manage to get ahead of him with a stunning lap of his own, but Norris' second attempt not only put him on the front row, but pushed him behind Leclerc, Antonelli, and Gasly. He will be starting the race from P6, only one spot ahead of his closest championship rival. 

Will tomorrow's race become Piastri's second win of the season, or will one of the drivers behind him manage something that many don't believe possible? 

UPDATE: After the race both Russell and Antonelli were handed a one-place grid penalty for leaving their garages too early after the red flag. On top of that, Hulkenberg's lap time from Q1 was deleted, dropping him below Alonso, Ocon, and Albon.

Order of the grid:

1. Oscar Piastri

2. Charles Leclerc

3. George Russell

4. Pierre Gasly

5. Kimi Antonelli

6. Lando Norris

7. Max Verstappen

8. Carlos Sainz

9. Lewis Hamilton

10. Yuki Tsunoda

11. Jack Doohan

12. Isack Hadjar

13. Fernando Alonso

14. Esteban Ocon

15. Alex Albon

16. Nico Hulkenberg

17. Liam Lawson

18. Gabriel Bortoleto

19. Lance Stroll

20. Oliver Bearman