For the first time since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have qualified first and second respectively for a grand prix.
In Sepang, Verstappen was imperious as he took a first pole of the season, and a first for Red Bull-Ford Powertrains - a landmark moment on F1's return to Malaysia.
Hamilton was able to get the Ferrari into a "sweet spot" to emerge as the closest challenger - with the two world champions, with 11 titles, 177 wins, 341 podiums, 154 poles, and 267 front row starts between them - qualifying in that order for the first time since their infamous and controversial title decider in 2021.
It is not the first time they have shared a front row since that night almost five years ago, with Hamilton's last pole position coming at the 2023 Hungarian GP when he pipped Verstappen by 0.003s - but in the order of Verstappen-Hamilton, the last time this was done was on that fateful weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Overall, it is the 15th time the pair have shared the front row in their careers, with one of them slightly ahead on the head-to-head by 8-7...
Every time Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have shared the front row
| Race | Pole | P2 |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore 2018 | Hamilton | Verstappen |
| Germany 2019 | Hamilton | Verstappen |
| Abu Dhabi 2019 | Hamilton | Verstappen |
| Stryia 2020 | Hamilton | Verstappen |
| Russia 2020 | Hamilton | Verstappen |
| Bahrain 2021 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
| Spain 2021 | Hamilton | Verstappen |
| France 2021 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
| Stryia 2021 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
| Britain 2021 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
| Netherlands 2021 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
| United States 2021 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
| Abu Dhabi 2021 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
| Hungary 2023 | Hamilton | Verstappen |
| Bahrain in Malaysia 2026 | Verstappen | Hamilton |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Azerbaijan GP but also look ahead to F1's return this weekend to Malaysia! Rumours linking Christian Horner with a return to the sport is a major talking point.
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