Ferrari-backed Prema drivers Charles Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco locked out the front row of the grid for the Formula 2 Feature Race in Bahrain.
Leclerc led for most of the 30-minute qualifying session, with his 1:38.907 being almost seven-tenths quicker than Fuoco’s best effort.
Leclerc completed his second run earlier than his rivals, which paid off after a strange incident in the final minutes of the session.
Gustav Malja and Nabil Jeffri collided going through Turn 9, which brought out the virtual safety car and forced the bulk of the pack to abort their second runs.
Jeffri was trying to pass when aa slowing Malja moved across the circuit, with the two clashing and stopping on the track.
That meant Leclerc stormed to pole on his debut in the series, collecting four championship points as a result, ahead of Fuoco, McLaren junior Nyck de Vries – who suffered a disrupted practice session – and Arden's Norman Nato.
Luca Ghiotto and Artem Markelov took fifth and seventh for Russian Time, split by ART's Nobhuaru Matsushita, while Renault development driver Oliver Rowland was unable to convert his practice pace amid a flurry of lock-ups and took eighth.
Alexander Albon and Sérgio Sette Câmara rounded out the top 10 in their first F2 qualifying sessions.
