F1 Bahrain GP 2024 LIVE: Results with Max Verstappen winning the first race of season

Follow live F1 updates from the first race of the season in Bahrain with Max Verstappen leading from pole

Christian Horner breaks silence after being cleared of alleged 'inappropriate behaviour'

Formula 1’s 2024 season is well underway as the teams prepare for Saturday’s race with the noise surrounding Christian Horner refusing to fade.

Friday’s action in Bahrain saw Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz top the leaderboard in the third free practice session to set up a Ferrari-Red Bull clash in qualifying. McLaren’s Lando Norris also found some quick pace though the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were unable to maintain their strong showing from Thursday.

In qualifying, Max Verstappen won the battle against Ferrari and finished on pole thanks to an improved lap time of 1:29:179 beating out Charles Leclerc by 0.228 seconds. Hamilton starts in P9 though teammate Russell had a storming final lap to clinch P3 and will be in with a chance of challenging the leaders today. Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso round out the top five.

Elsewhere, Christian Horner drew the media’s attention again after Whatsapps allegedly sent by him to a female colleague were leaked to the press, in what could be an embarrassing development for the Red Bull team principal who had previous been investigated and cleared over alleged ’inappropriate behaviour’.

Follow updates from the Bahrain Grand Prix with The Independent:

F1 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX - RACE UPDATES

• Max Verstappen wins the Bahrain Grand Prix; Perez 2nd; Sainz 3rd
• Click HERE for the top-10 in Bahrain
• LAP 18/57: Carlos Sainz moves up the order to third
• LAP 7/57: Sergio Perez overtakes Charles Leclerc with ease
• LAP 3/57: George Russell takes second place from Leclerc
• LAP 1/57: Max Verstappen keeps the lead from the start
• Christian Horner latest: Geri hand in hand with husband on F1 grid at Bahrain race

[2 March 2024 13:29 · Kieran Jackson]

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Max Verstappen takes temporary spotlight off Christian Horner with pole position

Qualifying report

Max Verstappen temporarily took the spotlight off team boss Christian Horner by putting his Red Bull on pole position for the opening round of the new Formula One season in Bahrain.

The build-up to the first race of the campaign has totally been overshadowed by allegations whirling around Horner.

The 50-year-old was exonerated by Red Bull Racing parent’s company, Red Bull GmbH, following an internal probe into “inappropriate behaviour” against a female colleague on Wednesday – before hundreds of WhatsApp messages appearing to be written by him were leaked to the F1 world a day later.

However, Horner, who has always denied any wrongdoing and remains in his role, was on the world champions’ pit wall here in Bahrain to see Verstappen claim his first pole of a season in which he is expected to romp to his fourth consecutive world championship in his all-conquering Red Bull machine.

But the triple world champion was made to work for the 33rd pole of his career under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Sakhir Circuit with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc second, two-tenths back.

Full report below:

[2 March 2024 13:23 · Kieran Jackson]

Can anyone stop this man today?

Max Verstappen starts on pole, as he looks to start the 2024 season in style with victory.

(Getty Images)

[2 March 2024 13:15 · Kieran Jackson]

Lewis Hamilton after qualifying P9 for today's race:

[2 March 2024 13:10 · Kieran Jackson]

NEW: Geri set to appear on the grid in Bahrain

Bright and early, Christian Horner arrived at the paddock in Bahrain for the first race of this season this afternoon, starting at 3pm (GMT).

Notably, wife Geri Halliwell was not present with him. But reports indicate that the Spice Girl pop star will be present on the grid in support of her husband this afternoon.

Watch this space!