Piatri starts in Bahrain from pole position – DiePresse.com

Oscar Piatri put his McLaren in the pole position at the fourth Formula 1 season race in Bahrain. The Australian was 0.168 seconds faster in the qualification on Saturday than the Briton George Russell in Mercedes. As the third, Ferrari man Charles Leclerc surprised Before Mercedes-Neuling Kimi Antonelli. Piatris McLaren teammate Lando Norris had to be satisfied with sixth place, while world champion Max Verstappen was only seventh in the Red Bull.

For Piatri it was the second pole position of his career, both « passed » him this year. In China, where he drove away from the front for the first time, he had won the race three weeks ago. « I felt out there all the weekend. In the third free training we had a good pace, and in qualifying the others were a little closer than I loved, but I was able to deliver my rounds when it got on it. So I am very, very satisfied, » said the 24-year-old for a week. On Sunday he denies his 50th Grand Prix.

The best impression of McLaren has so far made Mercedes cars in Bahrain. Russell was able to implement this and drove to second place in qualifying. « If someone had told us that we would get to the McLarens for half a second, we would have taken it, because then we would have been in third place in the starting line -up. So P2 is a bonus for us, » he explained.

Leclerc delighted, Norris depressed

Leclerc admitted not to have expected third place. « At the beginning of Q3 everything felt really bad with the old tires, but as soon as we raised the new tires, everything was better. I didn’t expect that, but I am very happy, » said Monegasse.

Norris, on the other hand, seemed depressed. « I’m just not fast enough, » he repeated without wanting to go into any questions. Before the Grand Prix on Sunday (5 p.m. MESZ/Live Servustv and Sky) in Sakhir, the Briton leads the overall ranking with one point ahead of Verstappen. Thirdly, Piatri has 13 points less than his teammate, he could take the World Cup lead with an optimal course of the race.

Pierre Gasly, the Frenchman in the service of the Alpine racing team, drove to fifth place. Carlos Sainz in Williams, Ferrari Altstar Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull completed the top ten. It was the first time this season that both Red Bull cars reached the third and final qualifying segment. Tsunoda’s predecessor Liam Lawson, who drives again for the Racing Bulls, did not get past 17th. His stable colleague Isack Hadjar was twelfth. (APA)