Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying F1 Highlights: Oscar Piastri Takes Pole Position, George Russell Second

Q1 will go green at 9:30pm IST, so buckle up for qualifying which will determine the grid for Sunday's race. The qualifying should last for over an hour and will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website in India.

We are off in Sakhir. Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are the ones to kick-start qualifying action.

Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Haas driver Ollie Bearman are among the ones to be eliminated after Q1. Williams' Alex Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) are the others to miss out on a Q2 spot.

Haas driver Esteban Ocon has been red-flagged in the middle of Q2 after he flies off the track and hits a barrier between the second and third turns. The recovery truck enters the scene and clears the disfigured car. Esteban seems to be okay though, thankfully.

While Esteban suffered a crash into the barrier, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) have missed out on progression to Q3. Jack Doohan (Alpine) and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) are the others to be eliminated after Q2.

As expected, McLaren assert their dominance and it is their star driver Oscar Piastri who usurps pole from Mercedes' George Russell, who seemed primed to finish on top before Piastri overtook him.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli end up third and fourth respectively, while Pierre Gasly (Alpine) does well to take the fifth spot and Piastri's teammate Lando Norris will start in P6.

Meanwhile, Red Bull racing's talisman Max Verstappen has to be content with seventh place, and the legendary Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) will start ninth.

Here's what the top-three drivers said at the end of qualifying:

Oscar Piastri, McLaren: "I felt confident out there all weekend. FP3 we had good pace, and qualifying - the others caught up a little closer than I wanted, but I delivered the laps when it mattered so very, very happy.

"I have to get to Turn 1 in first so let's see what happens but I've felt comfortable all weekend. I can't thank the team enough for the car they have given me."

George Russell, Mercedes: "If anyone said we would be within half a second of the McLarens, we'd have taken it as we'd have been P3 on the grid, so to be P2 is a bonus. The nighttime coming in, the temperatures getting cooler - earlier when it was roasting hot, the McLarens were down the road."

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: "Honestly, I didn't expect P3. At the beginning of Q3 everything felt really bad with the old tyres, but as soon as we put on the new tyres everything felt better. I did not expect it but I am very happy."

The Bahrain Grand Prix main race is slated for Sunday, April 13 at 8:30pm India time. Oscar Piastri starts on pole, with Mercedes' George Russell in the front row alongside and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli in third and fourth.