Red Bull's Verstappen grabs pole position for Bahrain GP
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen grabbed pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix being held in Malaysia with the fastest time in Saturday's qualifying session.
Red Bull's Verstappen, currently sixth in the world championship standings, took his first pole of the year ahead of seven-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.
It will be the first time the Dutch driver has started at the front of the grid since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season.
Verstappen's teammate Isack Hadjar set the third-fastest qualifying time but the Frenchman will drop five places on the starting grid due to a penalty imposed on Red Bull for fitting new engine components beyond the permitted quota.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Italy finished fourth in qualifying.
The Bahrain Grand Prix is being raced in Malaysia due to disruption in the Gulf linked to the US-led war with Iran.
Latest stories
Asian Edition North Korea says test of intermediate-range strategic missile included use of AI
North Korea said it tested an intermediate-range strategic missile on Saturday that involved the use of AI, hours after Seoul said Pyongyang had...
Europe With Russia next door and rising costs, Latvia goes to the polls
Latvians have begun to vote in an election shaped by concerns over neighbouring Russia and the cost of living, but the result is not expected to steer the country...
Africa Ethiopia's Tigray rebels abandon regional capital as govt advances
Tigray rebels were abandoning their regional capital in northern Ethiopia on Saturday, a local journalist and residents told AFP, as pro-government forces...