Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

The ‘attention to detail’ that handed Verstappen F1 pole in Bahrain

by Sam Tomlinson
2 years ago
A A
The ‘attention to detail’ that handed Verstappen F1 pole in Bahrain

Pole sitter Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing with Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari in qualifying parc ferme. 01.03.2024. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 1, Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir, Bahrain, Qualifying Day.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Max Verstappen believes ‘attention to detail’ was the key to pole in Bahrain, and will again be the differentiator during Saturday’s Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s 1:29.179s was enough to sit 0.228s clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who is set to join the reigning champion on the front row.

Despite a dominant run in 2023 which saw the Dutchman claim 19 victories and 13 pole positions, the convergence of the field over the winter break meant that Verstappen was not a shoe-in for pole.

“I think it was just a very tight qualifying,” Verstappen said. “I think it was just also very tricky conditions with the wind this whole weekend.

RelatedPosts

Yuki Tsunoda was charging down Liam Lawson in Baku

Yuki Tsunoda resisted ‘hero’ overtake attempt on F1 rival amid best Red Bull result

2 hours ago
Charles Leclerc insisted the Ferrari team orders gaffe in Baku mattered little

Why ‘sexier positions’ issue renders Ferrari F1 team orders blunder irrelevant

4 hours ago

“Just if you can get the lap together immediately, you can find one, one and a half tenths in a corner. It was good for us in Q2, especially Q3 I would say.

“But yeah, I think throughout the whole of qualifying, you could see the gaps were super close, and I think you never really knew who was going to be on pole heading into Q3. So I think that was very exciting to see.”

While Verstappen may have held a two-tenth buffer to the chasing Leclerc, little more than half a second covered the top nine in qualifying.

Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB20. 01.03.2024. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 1, Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir, Bahrain, Qualifying Day.

Asked whether he felt the field was closer than this time last year, the Red Bull driver said: “It feels like it, because all the way until qualifying, I didn’t have a good feeling, whereas last year I think it was a bit better.

“We were a bit stronger throughout the whole weekend. So we’ll see how that will evolve.

“I mean we’ve done quite a few long runs now, to the point where you almost get bored of it. But yeah. I’m confident that we have a good race car.

“But I think also what you saw already yesterday in the long runs, the gaps are small, and it’s about attention to detail that will make the difference also tomorrow.”

Earlier in the weekend, the three-time champion had been heard bemoaning his RB20’s setup and also cited concerns regarding the smoothness of the gearbox.

Clarifying those complaints, Verstappen said: “I mean, that is something that has been around for quite a while and you always try to optimise these things but that was not really the balance problem of the car.

“It was just trying to get in the right window with the front axle and the rear axle of the car, so you are either on the front axle or the rear or the other way around and it was all about trying to find that middle way and feel a bit more comfortable.

“Around a track like this, which is quite hard on tyres, the tarmac is very aggressive and one little slide or front lock up can cost you a lot of lap time. So it is about small little things that improve the car quite a bit.”

Tags: BahrainGPF1Max VerstappenRedBull
Share200Tweet125Share

Related Posts

Yuki Tsunoda was charging down Liam Lawson in Baku
Formula 1

Yuki Tsunoda resisted ‘hero’ overtake attempt on F1 rival amid best Red Bull result

2 hours ago
Charles Leclerc insisted the Ferrari team orders gaffe in Baku mattered little
Formula 1

Why ‘sexier positions’ issue renders Ferrari F1 team orders blunder irrelevant

4 hours ago
Alpine's miserable Baku weekend may have helped Flavio Briatore decide its 2026 line-up
Formula 1

How the Azerbaijan GP may have decided the 2026 Alpine F1 line-up

5 hours ago
Load More

Discussion about this post

Upcoming Races

#EventDate
18Singapore GP03-05 October
19United States GP17-19 October
20Mexico City GP24-26 October
21São Paulo GP07-09 November
22Las Vegas GP20-22 November

Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Oscar Piastri324
Lando Norris299
Max Verstappen255
George Russell212
Charles Leclerc165
Lewis Hamilton121
Andrea Kimi Antonelli78
Alexander Albon70
Isack Hadjar39
Nico Hulkenberg37

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Latest Articles

Yuki Tsunoda was charging down Liam Lawson in Baku
Formula 1

Yuki Tsunoda resisted ‘hero’ overtake attempt on F1 rival amid best Red Bull result

September 22, 2025
Charles Leclerc insisted the Ferrari team orders gaffe in Baku mattered little
Formula 1

Why ‘sexier positions’ issue renders Ferrari F1 team orders blunder irrelevant

September 22, 2025
Alpine's miserable Baku weekend may have helped Flavio Briatore decide its 2026 line-up
Formula 1

How the Azerbaijan GP may have decided the 2026 Alpine F1 line-up

September 22, 2025

Follow Motorsport Week

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd