Sunday at 6:00 p.m. local (4:00 p.m. French), after dark, the Dutchman will set off ahead of his announced rival for the season Charles Leclerc, vice-champion last year with the Scuderia, qualified third.
The Red Bulls "are really fast" conceded the Ferrari driver, expected on the grid alongside his Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz, fourth, for a 100% red second line.
During the last qualifying session, the Monegasque, then second best provisional time behind Verstappen, preferred to give up a last flying lap, thus destroying the hope of overtaking the Dutchman for pole.
The objective was above all to keep a set of tires for the race on Sunday, where their deterioration on the very hot Sakhir track could play an important role.
"I think we were in the fight for pole," admitted Leclerc, satisfied.
"We managed to find a good pace for the qualifying lap which was great, but we have to keep in mind that in the race we seem to be a bit behind Red Bull," he said. he also admitted.
"It may be difficult to put up any resistance to them."
Monegasque Charles Leclerc's Ferrari during the third free practice session on the Sakhir international circuit on March 4, 2023, ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix © ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP
The Ferrari driver, however, has several grounds for hope: he won at the last Bahrain GP, while Red Bull has not won on the Sakhir track since 2013 and Sebastian Vettel, now a young retiree from the circuits.
Verstappen, in F1 since 2015, has never won in the first GP of a season, or even in Bahrain.
Alonso assures
If the team from Maranello, Italy, is the first competitor of the overpowered Austrian single-seaters, Leclerc also ensures to keep an eye on the Aston Martins, in particular that of Fernando Alonso, qualified fifth on Saturday.
"It's an incredible result," said the Spaniard.
"To be fifth, in the fight with Ferrari, and Mercedes, was unthinkable eight months ago."
The dean of the Formula 1 circuit Fernando Alonso, driving his Aston Martin, during the third free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix, on the international circuit of Sakhir, March 4, 2023 © Giuseppe CACACE / AFP
Leading two of the three test sessions contested on Friday evening and Saturday under the dodger, Alonso had already made a strong impression during pre-season testing last week, also on the Sakhir circuit, regularly placing his single-seater at the height of the best.
Under (slightly) falling temperatures, the veteran of the grid (41 years old) was unable to keep pace with the Red Bulls and the Ferraris.
British Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will start sixth and seventh respectively.
"Today could have been worse," said Hamilton, who "hopes 'to be able to fight' in the group behind Red Bull".
"Everything will really depend on our pace in the race", however tempered the seven-time world champion.
On Friday, the Briton complained in particular about the performance of his W14: "We discovered that we are far from the mark", he complained on the evening of the first day of the race weekend.
Gasly "not comfortable"
The second Aston Martin, that of Canadian Lance Stroll, uncertain until Thursday for the GP due to a broken wrist - which incidentally caused him to miss pre-season testing - is eighth ahead of the Frenchman's Alpine Esteban Ocon, ninth, and the German Nico Hulkenberg, qualified tenth at the wheel of his modest Haas.
Frenchman Pierre Gasly drives his Alpine during a qualifying session at the Bahrain Grand Prix, on the Sakhir international circuit, on March 4, 2023 © ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP
At Alpine, if Ocon saved the honor, his teammate and compatriot Pierre Gasly will start twentieth and last for his first qualifications with the French team.
The Norman, then 17th at the end of the first part of qualifying, saw his best time canceled for leaving the limits of the track in the first part of qualifying (Q1), where the five worst times are eliminated.
Presentation of the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain, where the first Formula 1 Grand Prix of the 2023 season will take place, on March 5 © / AFP
"I didn't feel comfortable with the car today, so we were well below our true level," explained the 27-year-old driver.
The grid welcomes three novices this season: the American Logan Sargeant will start 16th, ahead of the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 18th, and the Dutchman Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri), 19th.
© 2023 AFP