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Ferrari youngster Charles Leclerc storms to pole position for Bahrain GP

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has taken his first Formula One pole position with a stunning display in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, while Australian Daniel Ricciardo’s scrapped into the top 10.

Top three qualifiers (L-R) Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari (second) Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari (first) and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP (third) celebrate in parc ferme during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. Picture: Will Taylor-Medhurst/Getty Images
Top three qualifiers (L-R) Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari (second) Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari (first) and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP (third) celebrate in parc ferme during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. Picture: Will Taylor-Medhurst/Getty Images

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has taken his first Formula One pole position with a stunning display under the floodlights in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, while Australian Daniel Ricciardo’s scrapped into the top 10 after Romain Grosjean was penalised.

Calm and composed ahead of only his second race for the Italian team, the 21-year-old Monegasque Leclerc was 0.294 seconds clear of last year’s pole- sitter Sebastian Vettel who secured Ferrari’s front row lockout on Saturday.

Five-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was Ferrari’s closest challenger in third for Mercedes, but the Briton was still 0.324 seconds off the pace with teammate Valtteri Bottas alongside in fourth.

“Thanks guys! The car was amazing,” Leclerc said over the team radio after his track record time of one minute 27.866 seconds.

“Today is a good beginning, I’ll try and finish the job tomorrow,” added the youngster, who was fastest in two of the three practice sessions before qualifying and can take his first F1 win on Sunday (Monday morning AEDT).

Leclerc, a rookie with Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) last season after winning the Formula Two title, is the second youngest pole sitter of all time. Vettel did it at 21 years and 73 days with Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008.

Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 on track during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. Picture: Lars Baron/Getty Images
Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 on track during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. Picture: Lars Baron/Getty Images

He will also be the first driver from Monaco to start at the front since the world championship started in 1950.

Ferrari, mysteriously off the pace at the season-opening race in Australia won by Bottas, were in a league of their own and restored to their position as race favourites.

The pole was the team’s first since September’s Italian Grand Prix, when they also swept the front row but lost to Hamilton in the race.

Renault's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo scraped into tenth place in qualifying got the Bahrain F1 GP. Picture: Andrej Isakovic/AFP
Renault's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo scraped into tenth place in qualifying got the Bahrain F1 GP. Picture: Andrej Isakovic/AFP

Vettel, who has more poles in Bahrain than any other driver, could put in only one run in the final pole-position shootout as the four times champion had to run twice in qualifying’s second phase after being held up by traffic. Behind the top four, Max Verstappen qualified fifth for Red Bull ahead of Kevin Magnussen in the Haas, McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Romain Grosjean, also for Haas.

Pole position qualifier Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari is congratulated by third placed qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP. Picture: Charles Coates/Getty Images
Pole position qualifier Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari is congratulated by third placed qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP. Picture: Charles Coates/Getty Images

Grosjean was later handed a three place drop for impeding McLaren’s British rookie Lando Norris in the first phase, lifting Kimi Raikkonen to eighth for Alfa Romeo and Norris to ninth.

Ricciardo completed the top 10 for Renault, thanks to Grosjean’s penalty, with Thailand’s Alexander Albon 12th for Toro Rosso.

Ricciardo’s German teammate Nico Hulkenberg, having been impressive all weekend, was a surprise early casualty and will line up 17th. Fallen champions Williams unsurprisingly propped up the timesheets with rookie George Russell edging out experienced Pole Robert Kubica.

Grid positions from the Bahrain Grand Prix here today:

STARTING GRID

1. Charles Leclerc (MON/FER)

2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/FER)

3. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MER)

4. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/MER)

5. Max Verstappen (NED/RBR)

6. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/HAA)

7. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/MCL)

8. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/ALF)

9. Lando Norris (GBR/MCL)

10. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/REN)

11. Romain Grosjean (FRA/HAA)

12. Alexander Albon (THA/STR)

13. Pierre Gasly (FRA/RBR)

14. Sergio Perez (MEX/RAC)

15. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/STR)

16. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA/ALF)

17. Nice Hulkenberg (GER/REN)

18. Lance Stroll (CAN/RAC)

19. George Russell (GBR/WIL)

20. Robert Kubica (POL/WIL)

Originally published as Ferrari youngster Charles Leclerc storms to pole position for Bahrain GP

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/motor-sport/ferrari-youngster-charles-leclerc-storms-to-pole-position-for-bahrain-gp/news-story/b58bab9ef14daa351271c85bc802cc3c