Verstappen equals Clark and Prost for fifth in the all-time pole list, Alpine lock out the back row and Hamilton records his worst Bahrain qualifying result to date. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.
VERSTAPPEN ON POLE AT THE 2024 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the season-opening 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. This was the 33rd pole position of his Formula 1 career, seeing him surpass Nigel Mansell and equal both Jim Clark and Alain Prost for fifth place in the all-time pole list.
This was Verstappen’s third pole position in Bahrain, seeing him equal Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton as the driver with the most poles at Bahrain International Circuit. He also became the fourth driver – after Vettel, Hamilton and Nico Rosberg – to secure pole position for successive races at the track.
Verstappen became the 11th driver to have secured a pole position in six consecutive years, having taken at least one pole in every year since 2019.
IN THE TOP 10
Charles Leclerc qualified on the front row for the sixth consecutive Grand Prix, matching the second longest consecutive front row qualification streak of his career to date.
This was Leclerc’s third front row qualification in Bahrain, having previously taken pole position in both 2019 and 2022.
Although Max Verstappen took pole position, Charles Leclerc’s session-topping lap time from Q2 was 0.014 seconds faster than Verstappen’s pole lap time.
George Russell qualified in the top three for the first time since qualifying on the front row for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz qualified fourth at the Bahrain Grand Prix for the second year in a row. This is the third consecutive year in which both Ferrari drivers have qualified in the top four.
Sergio Perez qualified fifth for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. He has not qualified above fifth place since the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. This marks the fourth time in the last ten races that Perez has qualified in fifth place.
With seventh place, Lando Norris reached Q3 in Bahrain for the first time since 2021.
Both Norris and Oscar Piastri reached Q3 at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, making this the first time since 2021 that both McLaren drivers appeared in Q3 at the event.
Lewis Hamilton maintained his 100% Q3 appearance record at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Christian Klien, Juan Pablo Montoya and Paul di Resta are the only drivers who have reached Q3 on every outing at the track.
Hamilton qualified ninth for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, recording his worst qualifying result at the track to date. His previous worst was seventh, recorded in 2023.
For the second year in a row, Nico Hulkenberg reached Q3 at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Having also reached Q3 at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, this was Hulkenberg’s second consecutive Q3 appearance. It marked the first time he qualified in the top ten at two races in a row since the 2023 Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix.
Nico Hulkenberg qualified in tenth place at the Bahrain Grand Prix for a second consecutive season.
OUT IN Q2
Yuki Tsunoda qualified in 11th place, missing out on a spot in Q3 by just 0.007 seconds. He remains yet to qualify in the top ten at the track.
Alex Albon qualified 13th for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. He became the first Williams driver to qualify in the top 13 positions in Bahrain since both of the team’s drivers did so in 2017.
Albon recorded his fifth Q2 elimination at Bahrain International Circuit, equalling Sergio Perez as the driver with the most Q2 exits at the track.
Having been eliminated in Q1 or reached Q3 on every Bahrain appearance prior to 2024, Kevin Magnussen qualified 15th for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, recording his first Q2 exit at the track.
ALPINE DISASTER
Both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly exited in Q1 at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, with Alpine recording a double Q1 elimination. This was only the second time in the last 152 race weekends that the Enstone-based team recorded a double Q1 exit. They last did so at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix. Their previous double Q1 exit before that was at the 2016 Singapore Grand Prix.
This was the former Renault team’s second double Q1 exit at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Both of the Enstone team’s cars were last eliminated in Q1 at the track in 2016.
For the second year in a row, Pierre Gasly qualified in last place for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
With 19th place, Esteban Ocon qualified on the back row for the first time since failing to set a lap time in qualifying for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix.
OUT IN Q1
Both Sauber drivers were eliminated in Q1 at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, recording the team’s second consecutive double Q1 exit. This was the team’s fourth double Q1 exit at the track; their first since 2020.
Valtteri Bottas recorded his worst-ever Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying result with 16th place. From his 13 appearances, this was Bottas’ first Q1 exit at the track.
Like his team-mate, Zhou Guanyu also recorded his worst Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying result to date with 17th place. It was also his first Q1 exit at the track.
Zhou’s fastest lap time in Q1 was just one thousandth of a second slower than his team-mate’s best lap.
Logan Sargeant qualified in 18th place, making this the eighth consecutive race at Bahrain International Circuit at which at least one Williams driver has exited in Q1.
Just 1.039 seconds separated Carlos Sainz in first and Pierre Gasly in 20th at the end of Q1 in qualifying for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. That’s 0.149 seconds less than the same gap in qualifying for the 2023 race.