Leclerc takes pole for Bahrain GP ahead of champ Verstappen

Published March 19, 2022 7:38 AM

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Auto Racing Writer

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has stunned Formula One champion Max Verstappen by taking a brilliant pole position for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen was .015 seconds ahead of Leclerc on the last time split but the Red Bull star lost time to finish .123 seconds behind as his old teenage karting rival clinched his 10th pole position. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton made up ground for Mercedes on his final run but starts from fifth behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in third. Hamilton says “Those guys ahead of us are on another level at the moment.”

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