Lights Out: Vettel on top as Verstappen hits the wall

Lights Out: Vettel on top as Verstappen hits the wall

Originally written by Joas van Wingerden. This version is a translation.

Sunday 8 April 2018 11:00

Sebastian Vettel is the man to beat at the Bahrain Grand Prix after a scintillating pole lap, but one of the drivers most fancied to challenge his supremacy, Max Verstappen, will start 15th in Sakhir after a Saturday stumble. It's lights out for Sunday morning!

MUST READ

Vettel stopped the watch at one minute and 27.985 seconds to take his 51st Formula 1 pole for what will be his 200th grand prix start.

Article continues under video

The hot lap also set a new record for the Sakhir International Circuit.

Though the red cars have looked like one-lap kings all weekend, Verstappen was the man to beat in race trim on Friday.

A shame then that he sent his Red Bull into the wall in Q1. Click here to watch how it all went wrong.

Max still thinks P5 is achievable from 15th on the grid.

Vettel hadn't quite looked on the pace until his final flyer, having spent much of the Australian Grand Prix behind Kimi Raikkonen, until that VSC.

With Raikkonen just edged out for pole here, Vettel said the car "came alive" just when it mattered.

Lewis Hamilton will start ninth thanks to a gearbox penalty. The world champion was beaten on pace by team-mate Valtteri Bottas, and doesn't seem too optimistic at Mercedes' chances on Sunday.

Final word has to go to Saturday's biggest star, though - Pierre Gasly! The Toro Rosso newbie will start fifth thanks to Hamilton's penalty.

Both Toro Rossos finished ahead of the McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne - the performance even surprised the Honda-powered squad!

MUST WATCH

Tomorrow is Sebastian Vettel's 200th #F1 start
And he'll do it from pole in Bahrain, thanks to this absolute stormer of a lap ????#BahrainGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/8IBr9An0rh — Formula 1 (@F1) April 7, 2018