Sepang (Malaysia) (AFP) - Four-time world champion Max Verstappen continued his dominant form for Red Bull by claiming his first pole of the season on Saturday when he topped the times in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The 29-year-old Dutchman, currently sixth in the world championship standings, clocked a best lap time of 1min 35.130sec in the final minute of a close session run in high temperatures at the Sepang International Circuit.

He outpaced seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari by 0.298 seconds. Isack Hadjar was third for Red Bull, but will drop five places on the starting grid due to a penalty imposed for fitting new engine components beyond the permitted quota.

Next came standings leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari and world champion Lando Norris of McLaren.

Oscar Piastri was seventh in the second McLaren, ahead of George Russell of Mercedes, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi.

It will be the first time Verstappen has started at the front of the grid since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season.

“It’s fantastic,” said a delighted Verstappen. “We’ve been trying for many Grands Prix to get a pole position and so to finally get it is pretty incredible.

“I’m happy with today and will try to win tomorrow.”

- First pole of season -

The Bahrain Grand Prix is being raced in Malaysia due to disruption in the Gulf linked to the US-led war with Iran.

The session began in sizzling humidity with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman leading out for Haas.

Verstappen set the first run pace in 1:36.447 ahead of the two Ferraris, both running mediums while all their rivals used softs.

With track temperatures in the mid-50s on a low-grip, high-degradation circuit, drivers were trying to keep their tyres cool and by taking things slower on their Q2 preparatory laps.

The move earned Verstappen a black-and-white warning flag for driving “unnecessarily slowly”. All that changed once he put his foot down and clocked 1:35.696 to go top.

Antonelli exceeded track limits and had his first lap deleted, costing him a set of softs and requiring him to go out again for a timed lap.

Taking greater care, he was fast enough to go P2, two-tenths down.

Q3 began with Russell out first, but Verstappen scorched to the top again in 1:35.250 on his first run ahead of teammate Hadjar and Hamilton.

Antonelli’s sole lap – on his single remaining set of softs – then lifted him to P3.

That left the rest with their final runs as Verstappen trimmed his time and Hamilton progressed to take P2 and join him on the front row in a dramatic final minute.