Charles Leclerc takes the first pole of 2022, Mercedes floundering ……
Qualifying is still three sessions, the sessions will determine the grid, with Q1 knocking out the bottom 5 drivers. Q2 will do the same, with Q3 will be the Top Ten shootout, this will determine pole position for the Bahrain GP.
The knockout system has always given us surprises, a last minute run interrupted by a yellow flag? This year is no different with Danny Riciardo of McLaren only managing 18th.
The story of the first session goes to the HAAS team, both cars out of the bottom 5 for the first time since 2019. The decision not to develop the 2021 car paying dividends already. Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou also did well to make it into Q2 on his debut qualifying session in Formula 1.
In to Q2, Kevin Magnussen continued to have an amazing session for the HAAS team, a hydraulics issue hindered the team in the latter stages of Q2, however HAAS must be ecstatic with how qualifying has went with K-Mag making the top ten shootout. Another team that will be happy with how qualifying went are the Alfa Romeo team, Bottas and Zhou both made it into Q2, rookie Zhou managing to qualify in 15th with his experienced teammate making the top ten shootout.
Disappointment for both Alpine and Mclaren as Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris failing to make the top ten shootout.
The first runs of Q3, surprised us all as the prancing horse of Ferrari went 1-2 with Sainz leading from Leclerc, the Redbull boys followed behind with Mercedes down in 5th and 6th. Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly and Valterri Bottas all decide to go for 1 run in the Q3, this lead to all 10 cars out on track, with 3 minutes left in the session.
The return of the prancing horse, Charles Leclerc stole pole from Redbull and Max Verstappen, the other Ferrari takes third with Sergio Perez taking 4th.
Reigning constructors champions were not really challenging for pole, George Russell could not make it a Mercedes debut to remember, missing the apex on the first corner at the start of his final run put him down in 9th, Lewis Hamilton could only muster 5th in the other Mercedes.
Bottas in the Alfa Romeo, who was moved aside at Mercedes to allow Russell in managed to beat the Mercedes and qualify in 6th one place behind Hamilton.
Kevin Magnussen marked his return to Formula 1 with an impressive 7th in the HAAS. Fernando Alonso quietly took an impressive 8th place in the Alpine.
An eye opening qualifying sets up an interesting race for tomorrow.