The third race of the 2017 Formula One season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, is upon us and if the qualifying is anything to go by then we will have an exciting race on our hands. In a surprising turn of events, it was not Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton who took pole position but another Mercedes driver in Valtteri Bottas who topped the time sheets.
The Finn who was brought in as a replacement by Mercedes, to replace the now retired Nico Rosberg, took everyone by surprise as he beat Hamilton by just 0.023 seconds. His pole position in Bahrain also brought an end to Hamilton's run of six consecutive poles dating back to last year's US Grand Prix.
Also read: Valtteri Bottas ready to challenge Lewis Hamilton for world championship
At the start of the season, Bottas did say that he would challenge the likes of Hamilton and Vettel for the world championship. He started the season with a good performance in Australia but had a disappointing day in China. He finally looks the part in Mercedes now. If Bottas can also win the Bahrain Grand Prix later today, it will certainly make the title race a three-way fight between Vettel, Hamilton and Bottas.
During his post-qualifying interview, Hamilton said that he was genuinely happy that Bottas finally got his first pole position of his career and said that the Finn is definitely keeping him on his toes.
"Good things happen to good people. He is a great guy and it is his first pole so he will be struggling to sleep tonight through excitement. I'm genuinely very happy for Valtteri. He has done a fantastic job, been inching away at it bit by bit. He did a better job today," BBC quoted Hamilton as saying.
"It could be his first win, and if it's not he will get a win. He's an exceptional driver. There's going to be lots of ups and downs throughout the year but Valtteri's definitely keeping me on my toes. He's getting stronger and stronger.
"I know how special it is to have your first pole position. It is just amazing. You dream of it as a kid and I know that he will be enjoying it. But obviously I will try my hardest to win the race."
Bottas has certainly bounced back after his disappointing performance in China and he will want to cap off this perfect weekend so far with his first ever win in Formula One. Not a lot has been said since Bottas moved to Mercedes with a lot of people saying that he will not be a challenge for Hamilton but if he can win today everything will change.
Bottas could have had a much better race in China if he had not spun behind the safety car which cost him a few positions but the Finn is hoping for a good weekend in Bahrain.
"It's always nice to have a good result whether you've had a good or bad weekend before but for sure if you've had a bit of a struggle in the last race it's always nice to start the weekend in a good way. The race is what matters but it's good. I'd rather be on pole than anything less, so let's see. There is no point to start dreaming about anything," Bottas said.
Vettel finished third and could not separate the Mercedes this race and they will be hoping for a one-two finish as they look to pick up more valuable points in the constructors championship. Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth with Kimi Raikkonen in fifth and Max Verstappen in sixth.
Renault had a good qualifying session as both their cars finished in the top 10 with Nico Hulkenberg in seventh and Jolyon Palmer in tenth. Romain Grosjean once again impressed with the Haas as he finished in ninth and Felipe Massa in eighth complete the top 10.
Here is the complete highlights from the qualifying session of the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Where to watch
The 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix is set to start at 6:00 pm local time. 8:25 pm IST and 10:55 am EST.
TV and live streaming information
Australia: TV: Ten HD. Live Streaming: Ten Play.
India: TV: Star Sports SelectHD2. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: Sky Sports F1. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: NBCSN. Live Streaming: NBC Sports Live.
Asia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Fox Sports Play.
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
