Ferrari driver Leclerc takes pole for F1 Bahrain Grand Prix

Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc on Saturday claimed the pole position for Sunday's 2022 Formula One season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Leclerc took the top position with a lap of a minute and 30.558 seconds to beat the 2021 World champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) by 0.123 seconds.

Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) was third in Saturday's qualifying round.

Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez was fourth, and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton ended the qualifying phase in the fifth position.

The 57-lap Bahrain GP will be run at the Bahrain International Circuit on a track nearly 5.4 kilometers (3.3 miles) long, located in the desert region of Sakhir, 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the capital and largest city Manama.

The race in Sakhir will start at 1500GMT on Sunday.