(Update with classification. Edit label.)
By Alan Baldwin
MANAMA, March 4 (Reuters) – Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, with his Red Bull team-mate, Mexican Sergio Pérez, completing the first line.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz proved to be closest rivals in third and fourth with Fernando Alonso causing a stir with his pace in practice, lining up fifth for Aston Martin.
Verstappen had been shaky in training, but the Dutchman found the moment he needed to give his father Jos the perfect gift for his 51st birthday: the 21st pole position of his career.
“I hope you were looking, I’m pretty sure you were looking,” he said. “It was a bit of a tough start to the weekend, yesterday and today I couldn’t find my rhythm, but luckily in qualifying we managed to put the best pieces together.”
“The truth is that I was positively surprised that we were on pole after the problems I encountered in training,” he added. “Usually our race car is better, so we’ll see.”
Mercedes qualified sixth and seventh with George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
Alonso’s teammate, Canadian Lance Stroll, who broke his wrists in a cycling accident in Spain last month and missed training, will start eighth.
Esteban Ocon qualified ninth for Renault-owned Alpine and Nico Hulkenberg tenth for Haas.
American Logan Sargeant was the highest ranked of the three rookies, placing his Williams 16th on the grid with teammate Alex Albon 15th.
Australian Oscar Piastri will make his debut in 18th for McLaren, who disappointed Lando Norris in 11th after failing to pass Stage Two. (Report by Alan Baldwin edited in Spanish by Javier López de Lérida)