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World champion Max Verstappen started his title defense with a pole position at the Bahrain International Circuit. The two-time world champion pipped teammate Sergio Perez to grab the pole position by 0.138s.
Fans on Twitter applauded the young Dutchman, calling his performance a brilliant start to his third title-winning campaign. Red Bull locked up the front row while Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari will be starting third and his teammate Carlos Sainz is starting fourth in tomorrow's race.
Some of the best reactions to Verstappen's pole on Twitter were:
Trending
"Road to 3rd title started. Go max."
"We thought Alonso was going to beef with Verstappen but now it looks like he is going to beef with us while Max can drive away into the sunset."
"“max verstappen, the reigning world champion”"
"POLE KING MAX VERSTAPPEN DID IT AGAIN."
"Verstappen taking pole after all the Alonso hype."
"And we go on right where we left off in 2022. Hoppaaaaa Verstappen on Pole Position and Perez 2nd position."
"Max Verstappen takes pole yet again. RedBull are back where they left off."
"THIS 3PEAT BOUT TO HIT LIKE CRACK"
"Great start to the season I’m excited for the race tomorrow!!!"
Max Verstappen ends Fernando Alonso's fans' dreams of pole
Verstappen took pole after some difficult practice sessions where the Dutchman was not feeling right in his car. Fernando Alonso was the man of the hour after the practice sessions, topping the timesheets in both FP2 and FP3.
The new Aston Martin driver looked set for a pole before both the Ferraris and Red Bulls set blistering fast times that meant the Spaniard starts from the third row tomorrow. It was a disappointing end to a great Friday and Saturday performance by the two-time World Champion.
Fans will be hoping for a comeback from the legendary driver and a win will surely be a treat for his supporters. Alonso last won an F1 race ten years ago, the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, starting from fifth, similar to tomorrow's race.
Overcoming Red Bull and Verstappen will be a challenge for the Spaniard. Red Bull showed their dominance in the second half of the season last year and are not looking to slow down anytime soon.
