The first grand prix of the year is about to begin. After an exciting qualifying session, Max Verstappen will start from pole position, with his teammate Sergio Perez alongside him.
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The margins were razor thin during qualifying for the first race of the year. After Q1, the entire field was within 1.1 seconds of the fastest time. And although Fernando Alonso, Mercedes and Ferrari drivers gave him a hard time, in the end it was Verstappen who managed to capture the first pole position of the year. The reigning world champion is seen as the absolute favourite for this year and is therefore in a good position to take his first win straight away.
His biggest challenger is likely to be Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque followed an unusual strategy during qualifying. Instead of making an extra attempt to conquer pole, Ferrari kept him in the pit box to keep an extra set of softs in reserve for the race. Leclerc will start from third place. The top five is further completed by Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, keeping both Mercedes drivers behind.
Rookies at the backfield
This season's rookies are all in the backfield. Logan Sargeant, Oscar Piastri and Nyck de Vries are all condemned to a catch-up race after failing to get through Q1 in qualifying. At the very back starts Pierre Gasly, whose fastest time was withdrawn due to track limits.
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