31 March,2019 07:40 AM IST | Manama | Abhishek Takle
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel (left) and Charles Leclerc in Bahrain on Saturday. Pic/AP/PTI
Charles Leclerc stormed to his first-ever Formula One pole position with a stunning display in Saturday's qualifying for the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. Calm and composed, the Monegasque set the timing screens alight with a one minute 27.866 second lap 0.294 seconds clear of team-mate and last year's Bahrain pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel, who secured a front row lockout for Ferrari.
The Maranello-based squad, mysteriously off the pace at the season-opening race in Australia, were in a league of their own in Bahrain. Lewis Hamilton was their closest challenger in third. But the Mercedes driver, while closer than he had been in practice, was still 0.324 seconds off the pace ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Leclerc's Bahrain pole makes the 21-year-old the second-youngest driver to start a Formula One race from the front after Vettel. It also handed Ferrari their first pole since the last September's Italian Grand Prix.
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