Bahrain Grand Prix – Qualifications: Hamilton Breaks the Track Record!

It is 5 PM in Bahrain, at dusk, it is 28°C on the track and 26°C in the air, and the conditions are optimal on this course known for very quickly wearing out tires.

Q1:

George Russell is the first to go out for a reconnaissance lap. He does not set a time. It is Max Verstappen who sets the first timed lap at 1:28.885, which is half a second slower than his best lap this morning during FP3.

A lot of traffic on track and with 6 minutes remaining in this Q1, big traffic jams are appearing as drivers prepare for their timed laps. Charles Leclerc is even significantly hindered by a McLaren and a Racing Point in particular.

George Russell delivers a very good performance by securing a 10th place time right under the checkered flag. He progresses to Q2. This isn’t the case for Romain Grosjean, who is experiencing one of his last Grand Prix in F1 and isn’t really enthusiastic over the radio.

Eliminated in Q1: Giovinazzi, Räikkönen, Magnussen, Grosjean, Latifi.

Q2:

The drivers quickly exit the pits but not for long due to a red flag caused by Carlos Sainz Jr.’s McLaren. The Spanish driver, as he starts his fast lap, encounters a braking problem at turn 1. Tires locked, he spins and remains stationary not far from the racing line. A red flag is necessary, interrupting the laps of drivers already on track.

The green light is given after several minutes and Norris, the two Red Bulls, and Perez immediately go out to allow themselves the possibility of making two attempts. Most drivers wait for the last 4 minutes to leave the pits and complete just one timed lap. Most opt for the medium tires, which will allow them to start their first stint in the race tomorrow with more leeway and less degradation. Most cars here are just as competitive on 2 laps with the medium tires compared to the soft tires.

Albon goes very wide in the last corner, but it’s up to the stewards to judge if a significant advantage was gained by the driver. He therefore keeps his 4th place in Q2. The surprises are significant as both Ferraris and Stroll do not advance to Q2, leaving their places to the Renaults and the AlphaTauris.

Eliminated in Q2: Vettel, Leclerc, Stroll, Russell, Sainz

Q3:

The green light is triggered and the drivers all leave the pits at the same time, after just under a minute. Norris and Kvyat are the first to set a time but having fitted the soft tires, they are slower than their Q2 time.

After the first attempt, it’s Hamilton who leads Verstappen by just 0.1 seconds. Bottas will take back second place during his second attempt while Lewis Hamilton secures a dominant pole position by 0.3 seconds.

The two Red Bulls will occupy the second row while Pérez and Ricciardo will occupy the third row. The fourth row will be French with Ocon and Gasly. Norris and Kvyat on the fifth.

Results of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying: