Hamilton qualifies on front row, wary of Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton qualified on the front row for the Bahrain Grand Prix, but said Ferrari’s improved pace would not guarantee an easy race against pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Hamilton said tyre overheating and Verstappen’s long-run speed would make tyre management and staying with the Red Bull driver central challenges. Hamilton’s qualifying result followed changes Ferrari made during practice, including a final adjustment before qualifying that he said helped the car find a better balance. He described the high temperatures, sliding and overheating tyres as making it difficult to keep the car consistent. The report said Verstappen took pole by nearly three tenths of a second after improving on his final attempt, leaving Hamilton alongside him on the front row. Hamilton said he was pleased Ferrari had reduced the gap to Verstappen, whom he said had been quick throughout the weekend. He cautioned that race pace could differ from qualifying and that small moments of wheelspin or instability could affect tyre life. He said he would try to stay with Verstappen, while recognizing that making the tyres last in the heat would be difficult.