Verstappen clinches first pole of season as Hamilton and Antonelli round out top three

During the Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying in Malaysia, Max Verstappen topped the timesheets, marking his first pole of the season and the 49th of his Formula 1 career. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, qualified second for Ferrari, and Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured third place. Although Isack Hadjar recorded the third-quickest lap, a grid-penalty forces him to start five places back, moving Lando Norris up to fifth.

The starting grid therefore features Verstappen on pole, Hamilton alongside him, and Antonelli in third, with the penalty reshuffling the lower positions. The session sets the stage for the race scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday.