Bahrain Grand Prix: Verstappen takes pole, Albon and Ricciardo out in Q2

Red Bull's Max Verstappen has taken pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

The Dutchman set a lap time of 1:29.179 to beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 0.242 seconds. Mercedes' George Russell will start third, ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Lando Norris.

Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was sixth, ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas, Haas's Kevin Magnussen and Williams' Alex Albon.

It was a disappointing qualifying session for AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries and McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who were both eliminated in Q1. De Vries was 16th, while Piastri was 19th.

Williams' Alex Albon and Haas's Kevin Magnussen were also eliminated in Q2, along with Alpine's Pierre Gasly and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda.

The 2024 Formula 1 season is set to be one of the most competitive in recent years, with several teams looking capable of challenging Red Bull for the title. Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin are all expected to be in the mix, while McLaren and Alpine could also surprise.

The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, March 5, 2024. The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK.