Verstappen puts Red Bull on Bahrain GP pole after recent progress
Max Verstappen took pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, with multiple outlets linking Red Bull's pace to recent improvements and an upgrade package. The result marks a sharp change from the team's earlier struggles, though previous car degradation concerns were described as not fully solvable in 2026.
Verstappen secured pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, with reports describing Red Bull's margin on the timing screens as significant. BBC coverage said Lewis Hamilton expected Verstappen to be difficult to beat in the race, while another report said Verstappen beat Hamilton to pole at Sepang.
Several outlets tied Red Bull's speed to recent development gains. BBC described an "incredible" Red Bull upgrade, while other reports pointed to progress in an area that had previously been a weakness and highlighted telemetry as evidence of the car's advantage.
The pole follows a notable turnaround from earlier in the season. Autosport noted that less than a month earlier at Monza, Verstappen had described the Red Bull as a "paper" car in reference to degradation-related issues, and said Verstappen and team principal Laurent Mekies did not believe that problem could be fully resolved in 2026.
Sources (7)
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