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In a stark comparison to setting a new track record at Suzuka in qualifying last week en route to his first win of the season, Max Verstappen battles to qualify seventh for the Bahrain Grand Prix. On the bright side, Red Bull Racing’s second driver joined Verstappen in Q3 for the first time this season. Yuki Tsunoda outpaced Verstappen on the first lap of Q3 but abandoned his final lap once the team realized he didn’t have the pace to improve.
The two Red Bulls’ path to Q3 were not without difficulty, their opening Q1 laps were both related when Verstappen locked up in the final corner excideing track limits and Tsunoda followed shortly after.
Verstappen radioed to the team after the first run, “There’s something really wrong with the car.
In Verstappen’s second attempt in Q1, where he fired off with less than 30 seconds remaining, a wide corner went under investigation by the stewards , but ultimately the lap held, pushing him through to Q2.
Both Verstappen and Tsunoda made it safely through the second qualifying stage, but their brakes became a major issue again while trying to put down times deserving of a top-five qualifying spot. Ultimately, Verstappen’s second lap was seventh fastest behind the two McLarens, two Mercedes, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and most surprisingly the Alpine of Pierre Gasly.
Without the boost in a second flying lap, Tsunoda’s time in Q3 was only enough for the new Red Bull driver to secure 10th on the grid.
Verstappen will start the Bahrain Grand Prix from seventh, one position behind Norris, who’s one point ahead of him in the WDC standings. Piastri’s second pole position gives him his best chance to leapfrog the defending champion and potentially his teammate if he can defend the pole on an overtaking-heavy track.
Contributing Writer
Victoria Beaver is a nomadic sports writer who spends her time hopping between race tracks and hippie farms. She’s covered every corner of motorsports that will let her in from 410 Sprints to NASCAR to Supercross. Her daily driver is a 2010 Subaru that she refused to do the smallest amount of preventative maintenance on. Instead, she spends her free time and money building a 42-foot Skoolie to one day travel the country full time.
