So, here we go, folks! The speculations are out the window, the masks are off, and Max Verstappen kicks off the 2024 season just like he finished the last one – with a belly laugh under his helmet after snagging his first pole of the year (1:29.179), a whopping 22 hundredths ahead of Charles Leclerc and 30 ahead of George Russell. No chance for the Spaniards to put up a fight, with Carlos Sainz in fourth and Fernando Alonso in sixth, still needing that extra oomph in single-lap pace.
Whether he was joking or dead serious, the truth is, the moment Verstappen crossed the line, he thought it wasn’t enough. Heck, Leclerc had clocked a 1:29.165 in Q2! But when Gianpiero Lambiase officially announced Verstappen’s 33rd pole, the champ burst with joy. “No need to apologize; it was a solid start,” his trusted engineer reassured him. Ferrari, who’ve been questioning Mad Max’s dominance since testing, had to swallow Leclerc’s bitter pill.
But now, the real kicker is the pace Verstappen’s threatening to lay down on the path to victory. The same speed that had everyone sweating during his practice runs in Friday’s final free session. Not even Leclerc and Russell are holding out hope for a miracle. The two podium spots seem like the only treasure up for grabs. Sainz and Alonso, fourth and sixth respectively, are each gearing up for their own battle.
“Putting all my chips on the table,” Alonso played the odds in Q3, biding his time and going all in when his rivals cleared the track. Thanks to a stellar middle sector, where he set a provisional record, he managed to outshine Lewis Hamilton and the McLarens. And he only ceded to Sergio Pérez by five milliseconds. “I was expecting to lose six or seven tenths to Red Bull or Ferrari, but it didn’t happen. Not sure if it’s luck or what, but it was a pleasant surprise,” admitted Alonso in the mixed zone.
Meanwhile, Sainz ended up conceding that darned tenth that’s been haunting him against Leclerc for so long. His final attempt in Q3 (1:29.507) lacked that sprinkle of magic he’d been showing all weekend. And he couldn’t deliver the dream pole to King Juan Carlos, who swung by Ferrari’s garage to catch the qualies. The Madrid-born driver, who’s set to play a bit more independently at Scuderia this year, needs to seize every opportunity. Leclerc might have the edge in single-lap pace, but in consistent speed, there’s nothing to envy. And with Mercedes’s noticeable ups and downs, the podium’s still within reach at Sakhir.
Because the SF24 once again showed off its fabulous agility in the twistiest sections of the track, going toe-to-toe with Verstappen. The Dutchman, with a 1:29.374 at the start of Q2, had a blank check to save his tires, while the rest had to go all out. Leclerc, the master tire-squeezer, managed to outshine his nemesis by over five tenths between the second and final sectors.
HAMILTON IN HOT WATER Alonso also made good use of his fresh rubber in Q2, though he was far from the front. His second attempt, slightly more dialed in, would land him fifth, just 69 hundredths behind Leclerc. The track temp dropped to 21ºC, and Mercedes was still sweating bullets. Russell, under investigation for not following the race director’s instructions, had to push till the last minute, just like Hamilton. No two ways about it, Lance Stroll’s disappointment was palpable; twelfth place, almost a tenth off the cutoff set by Oscar Piastri.
In Q1, the Canadian had already had to wait until his last attempt to save face, but his time, just 56 milliseconds off the top, hinted at Aston Martin’s vigor. Hamilton also struggled more than expected, with a 1:30.4 putting him half a second behind Sainz. His ninth-place finish on the grid, ahead of a Haas, should leave no one in the Mercedes garage feeling satisfied.
Down in the lower ranks, the only pleasant surprise was Alex Albon’s speed, sandwiching his Williams between the Mercedes in Q1. On the flip side, there’s Alpine, with both their cars sinking in the abyss. Meanwhile, Otmar Szafnauer, former boss of the French squad, strolled through the paddock sporting a flashy VIP pass.