Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing): First pole of 2026 “pretty incredible”

What a display of dominance from Max Verstappen! The 2017 Sepang winner will also start from pole position in the 2026 edition (this time as the Bahrain Grand Prix). With a time of 1:35.250, the Dutchman took the top spot early on in Q3 – and no one else came close.

Verstappen had already been the fastest in the first two qualifying segments. Goodness me, what a display of dominance! It is the first pole position of the year for Verstappen and Red Bull Racing. The Dutchman last started from the front of the grid in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2025.

He is joined on the front row by Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari). Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing team-mate Isack Hadjar finished a strong third in qualifying, but will start the race from eighth on the grid due to an engine penalty.

Verstappen: “It’s fantastic”

Max Verstappen: “It’s fantastic. I mean, we’ve tried to take pole at lots of Grands Prix. Sometimes we were closer than usual, but the fact that we’ve finally managed to secure it – considering how we started the season – is pretty incredible.”

It won’t be easy to turn pole position into a win in tomorrow’s race. The tarmac is hard on the tyres, and the heat is taking its toll on both driver and car. Nevertheless, Verstappen’s objective is clear: “I’m happy with how today went and I’ll definitely be trying to win tomorrow. I mean, when you’re starting from first on the grid, that’s the aim.”

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Why was this pole position finally achievable in the 16th race of the season? Verstappen: “We’ve got a better understanding of the car in the final laps. And our upgrades have ironed out the car’s weaknesses. We brought new parts with us and they worked. That helps with lap times and gives the car stability, which in turn helps on the laps. We’ve been finding all of that more and more over the last few weekends.” And now, for the first time this season, Verstappen and Red Bull Racing have been able to reap the rewards with a pole position!