Verstappen grabs first pole of the season for Bahrain

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen continued his unstoppable form for Red Bull by claiming his first pole of the season on Saturday when he topped the times in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The 29-year-old Dutchman, currently sixth in the world championship standings, clocked a best lap time of 1min 35.130sec in the final minute of a close session run in high temperatures at the Sepang International Circuit. He outpaced seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari by 0.298 seconds. Isack Hadjar was third for Red Bull, but will drop five places on the starting grid due to a penalty imposed for fitting new engine components beyond the permitted quota. Next came standings leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari and world champion Lando Norris of McLaren. Oscar Piastri was seventh in the second McLaren, ahead of George Russell of Mercedes, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi. It will be the first time Verstappen has started at the front of the grid since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season. "It's fantastic," he said. "We've been trying for many Grands Prix to get a pole position and so to finally get it is pretty incredible. "I'm happy with today...