Triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton smashed the Bahrain circuit lap record on Saturday to take pole position ahead of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The Briton’s best lap of one minute 29.493 seconds was the fastest ever at the Sakhir track.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen qualified third and fourth for the second race of the season.
The much-criticised new qualifying format was again in the spotlight, still underwhelming if marginally more exciting than the disappointing debut at the Australian season-opener two weeks earlier.
Hamilton is chasing his third successive Bahrain Grand Prix victory on Sunday while Rosberg, the winner in Melbourne, is seeking a fifth win in a row after ending last season with three straight victories.
STARTING GRID FOR SUNDAY’S GRAND PRIX
1st row
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
Nico Rosberg (GER/Mercedes)
2nd row
Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari)
3rd row
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull-TAG Heuer)
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Mercedes)
4th row
Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams-Mercedes)
Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Force India-Mercedes)
5th row
Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas-Ferrari)
Max Verstappen (NED/Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
6th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren-Honda)
7th row
Esteban Gutierrez (MEX/Haas-Ferrari)
Jenson Button (GBR/McLaren-Honda)
8th row
Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Red Bull-TAG Heuer)
Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Manor-Mercedes)
9th row
Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber-Ferrari)
Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India-Mercedes)
10th row
Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault)
Rio Haryanto (INA/Manor-Mercedes)
11th row
Felipe Nasr (BRA/Sauber-Ferrari)
Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Renault)
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