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via RacingNews365How Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton turned the tables on exposed MercedesMax 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.
RacingNews365Sat 3 Oct · 17:25 UTC
via RacingNews365Verstappen-Hamilton ‘flashback’ as Mercedes sufferMax Verstappen clinched his first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Lewis Hamilton joined him on the front row, benefiting from significant improvements made to the Ferrari SF-26, which finally performed well in qualifying.
Meanwhile, Mercedes struggled with their new upgrade package, leading to disappointing results. Aston Martin made a notable impact by achieving a double Q2 appearance, showcasing their progress in the competitive field. The Bahrain GP is set to take place on October 4, 2026.RacingNews365Sat 3 Oct · 13:20 UTC 
