'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Qualifying at the Bahrain GP kicked off the 2022 F1 season and when all was said and done, it was Charles Leclerc who took pole in a Ferrari. It didn't always look like that as, throughout the two days in all of the sessions, it appeared that Red Bull had the edge over the rest of the field.
There were indications of Ferrari closing the gap in FP3 as Leclerc was able to go from strength to strength and kept closing the gap to Max Verstappen. During qualifying, it became clear that both Red Bull and Ferrari had a battle on their hands.
Leclerc topped Q1 and then Verstappen responded by topping Q2. In the third qualifying session of the Bahrain GP, it was neck and neck again between the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers, as Carlos Sainz, Leclerc, and Verstappen were separated by just .05 secs. During the second run, Leclerc pulled out a lap that sealed the pole for him as neither Verstappen nor Sainz were able to beat the time set by the Ferrari driver.
Sergio Perez did a decent job and finished fourth, while the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton could only be dragged to fifth on the grid. George Russell made a mistake on his fast lap and would start in 9th for the Bahrain GP.
Let's take a look at some of the key talking points of the Bahrain GP qualifying.
2022 F1 Bahrain GP Qualifying: Talking Points
#1 Kudos to Leclerc but the battle is not over
Charles Leclerc is considered by many to be one of the best qualifiers on the grid and he proved it in the Bahrain GP qualifying today with a flawless display when it mattered. It became evident throughout the session, however, that there's hardly anything to pick between Red Bull and Ferrari.
In terms of pace, the two teams are very close to each other and today the pole position could have gone to either driver. The Bahrain GP, however, is tomorrow and with Max Verstappen by his side, the battle is not even remotely over. It's going to be a battle of strategy, wit, and driver skill and it is going to come down to finer margins. Leclerc should enjoy what he did today, but this is just the beginning.
#2 Mercedes come face-to-face with the reality
Lewis Hamilton's best time, when he extracted the last possible drop of performance from that Mercedes, was only good enough for fifth. Moreover, that time was close to seven-tenths slower than what Leclerc had put together.
For the first time since 2014, Mercedes look lost. In a race with no special circumstances involved, Lewis Hamilton is not winning the Bahrain GP. Sadly for the German team, this is where it finds itself. Can they bounce back? Yes, they can. Until then, it's all about damage limitation at the Bahrain GP.
#3 The Ferrari engine customers have taken the initiative
Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas was just 1 second slower than the pole time. Kevin Magnussen in his Haas had the gap at 1.2 seconds. The Ferrari-engined customers seem to have taken the initiative this season and appear quite competitive on the grid.
More importantly, with experienced heads like Magnussen and Bottas in these teams, they can rest assured that at least one driver can be banked upon to provide consistent points this season. After watching both the teams suffer at the back of the grid, this was a welcome surprise for everyone.
#4 The Mercedes engine customers are struggling big time
The story of the qualifying was finding out that all but one car that got eliminated in Q1 was not a Mercedes-engined customer. Both Aston Martins, a Williams, and a McLaren found themselves getting eliminated after Q1 in what was a slightly shocking turn of events.
McLaren appeared to be the fourth fastest car in Barcelona, however, ever since the F1 circus reached Bahrain, the team has struggled to replicate that performance. Aston Martin as well seemed out of sorts during the Bahrain GP weekend and it was slightly surprising to see the team have nothing to offer at all.
It still needs to be found out whether the Mercedes engine has a role to play behind this performance, but something like that should surely be a concern.
#5 A word for Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg was sitting at home and taking care of his new-born baby. He got the call from Aston Martin and has turned up and learned how to drive an entirely new generation of cars in one day. He then put together a time that was three tenths quicker than the time put together by the regular driver that has thousands of miles and multiple days of testing in that car.
There is a high probability that Nico will not be able to maintain this level of performance in the race due to a lack of racing fitness, and might even end up behind Stroll. Once the Bahrain GP is done, Hulkenberg, the better driver of the weekend, will go home without an F1 drive while the slower driver will drive the car for the rest of the season.
Sometimes, for hardcore fans, it's tough to accept that it's not always the better driver that finds a seat in F1, sometimes it's the more resourceful one.
