PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION: END OF QUALIFYING

First ever #F1 pole for @ValtteriBottas #BahrainGP  pic.twitter.com/Hx3QZrvWQt

- Formula 1 (@ F1) April 15, 2017

See you tomorrow from 17 p.m. for live commentary of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

First career pole for Valtteri Bottas. The Finn is ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. The German from Ferrari is almost five tenths behind Bottas and admits to one last missed lap. Ricciardo (Red Bull) ranks fourth ahead of Räikkönen (Ferrari), Verstappen (Red Bull), Hülkenberg (Renault), Massa (Williams), Grosjean (Haas) and Palmer (Renault).

1'28″769 for Bottas who improves the time of Hamilton who did not achieve a perfect lap.

The two Renault RS17s of Hülkenberg and Palmer have yet to complete their lap in Q3.

Eighth time for Romain Grosjean (Haas).  

Sebastian Vettel is further back in third position with his Ferrari in 1'29″247. 1'29″684 for Kimi Räikkönen who climbed into 4th position.

1'30"007 for Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), but Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) set a new record in 1'28"844, before Hamilton lowered the new benchmark to 1'28"792!

The two Red Bulls immediately went out on track, Ricciardo preceding Verstappen. Bottas is first on track at Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) achieved the best Q2 time in Bahrain on super-soft tires in 1'29″535, twenty thousandths ahead of Valtteri Bottas and 61 thousandths ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari. Note that the two Renault RS17s of Nico Hülkenberg, 5th, and Jolyon Palmer, 10th behind Romain Grosjean (Haas), enter Q3.

Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), Lance Stroll (Williams), Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber), Esteban Ocon (Force India) and Fernando Alonso (McLaren) are however eliminated. A Power Unit problem seems to be involved in the Honda clan.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION: END OF Q2#BahrainGP  #Which pic.twitter.com/EVoScwMJDf

- Formula 1 (@ F1) April 15, 2017

Esteban Ocon (Force India) is now 14th. Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) misses in the last corner and ends up in 11th position. Hülkenberg and Palmer (Renault) enter Q3.

10th time for Lance Stroll, but the Canadian is beaten by Romain Grosjean (Haas), eighth provisional time.

Lance Stroll (Williams) started his only attempt in Q2.

Romain Grosjean (Haas) and Esteban Ocon (Force India) are on the verge of the top 10 and therefore of Q3. Only Stroll (Williams) and Alonso (McLaren) remain without times.

Vettel approaches 61 thousandths of Hamilton in third position. Räikkönen is fourth but three tenths behind the Mercedes leader.

1'30″497 to 962 thousandths from Hamilton for Daniel Ricciardo on his first attempt.