How Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton turned the tables on exposed Mercedes

Max Verstappen achieved his first pole position of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, showcasing Red Bull's strong performance at the Sepang International Circuit. Lewis Hamilton qualified second, demonstrating the competitiveness of Ferrari, while Mercedes faced challenges, with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell starting fourth and eighth respectively.

The qualifying session highlighted ongoing issues for Mercedes, who struggled to integrate a significant upgrade package. This marked the first time this season that no Mercedes car made it into the top three, raising concerns about the timing of their development changes and their impact on performance.