Max Verstappen has taken his first pole position of the season after a blistering lap for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The Dutchman crossed the line nearly three-tenths ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, a race which he won when Formula 1 last raced in Sepang nine years ago.
Isack Hadjar qualified in third, but has been handed a five-place grid penalty for a new power unit elements part.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli had a nervy moment in Q2 after he exceeded track limits and had time for only one lap to book a spot in the top 10.
But this meant he had just one set of fresh soft tires left in Q3 and a flying lap to get the job done. He was edged out by Hadjar, but will be promoted to third due to the Red Bull driver's penalty.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc rounded out the top five, half a second off the leader's pace.
Verstappen, who last got pole in Abu Dhabi last year, will also be targeting his first victory of the season.
"It is fantastic, we have been trying in many grands prix to get pole, sometimes a bit closer than others but to finally get it from where we started this season, pretty incredible," Verstappen said.
"I am happy with today and for sure I am going to try to win tomorrow. When you start first, that is the target."
McLaren's Lando Norris could only manage sixth, with his teammate Oscar Piastri behind.
Mercedes arrived in Malaysia with a major upgrade, but George Russell looked off the pace and will start down in eighth, seven-tenths from Verstappen.
Antonelli leads Russell in the drivers' championship by 66 points, so his track position compared to his teammate is a huge boost to his title hopes.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly finished in ninth, with Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto in 10th.
The venue is hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix after the race was canceled in April due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia will start at 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m. BST / 4 a.m. EST).
