Bahrain GP final practice and qualifying

19:22 There you have it then – a new Formula 1 polesitter. Will we have a new race winner tomorrow? Join us just before 4pm UK time for live coverage of the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix to find out. Until then, here's our report of an entertaining qualifying session. Farewell for now!

Bahrain GP qualifying: Valtteri Bottas beats Lewis Hamilton to pole

Valtteri Bottas claimed his first Formula 1 pole position by edging out Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a tight Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying battle

19:20 Bottas isn't letting himself dream of a first victory yet – says "for me, it's all about focusing on the race". Suggests he'll give himself some room to enjoy his first pole though...and rightly so.

19:19 "I was very happy with my first lap, crossed the line, looked up and saw both were ahead," admits Vettel. "When I got the time I was a bit down to be honest. Four tenths was a lot more than I expected given how good the lap felt."

19:18 "He's been working so hard and today he was just quicker and did a better job," says a magnanimous-in-defeat Hamilton.

"The first sector was my weaker point. I'll work on it for tomorrow. The second and third ended up being quite good, just overall a little bit down. That's how close qualifying should always be – it forces us to be on the limit. I'm genuinely happy with the job I did."

19:16 On the other end of the happiness spectrum...

"Obviously really happy," says Bottas. "It took a few races but hopefully it's the first of many."

19:14 Remember that added woe for Alonso and McLaren? It's quite serious:

Bahrain GP: Fernando Alonso's Honda F1 engine broke down in Q2

Fernando Alonso says he will need a new engine for Formula 1's Bahrain Grand Prix after his qualifying session came to an early end when his Honda power unit broke down

19:13 Congrats @ValtteriBottas 1st pole! Great lap. Happy for all you guys at merc that Valteri is going well!!

19:11 Still plenty of hope Vettel can take the fight to Mercedes tomorrow, though Ferrari will be a little disheartened to finally be bumped off the front row – and be a little way adrift after Vettel failed to improve on his second run.

19:09 Smile, boys. Thumbs up to the crowd. Excellent, thank you. That's the obligatory top-three photo done. Now to the press conference. Like clockwork.

19:09 Bottas and Vettel in deep discussion, and now joined by Hamilton – who looks pretty happy for a man beaten by his new team-mate for the first time.

19:08 Little joke from Vettel to Bottas as they check out the times. The Finn's letting himself have a smile now as well.

19:05 Big hug from Hamilton to Bottas when they cross paths.

19:04

19:03 "I got screwed, the rear tyres were too cold to prepare the lap," complains Verstappen - 6th.

19:03 "For a moment there you actually showed some emotion," Bottas is told. He gives a low-key chuckle in response.

19:02 "A bit of a messy lap - I was happy with the one before, tried a bit too hard," says Vettel in third.

19:02 Raikkonen's pushed back to fifth, and he'll share the third row with Verstappen. Hulkenberg gets seventh, Massa eighth, Grosjean ninth and Palmer will line up 10th.

19:02 "Woo! Thanks guys, really happy," says Bottas - jubilant by Finnish standards.

19:01 Vettel fails to improve on his second lap and stays third, while Riciardo's managed to split the Ferraris and jump to fourth. Great lap from the Aussie.

19:01 Hamilton can't improve! Valtteri Bottas claims his first Formula 1 pole position!

19:00

19:00 Bottas goes P1! It's a 1m28.769s. Can Hamilton respond?

19:00 Hulkenberg has gone sixth, splitting the Red Bulls! Palmer only 10th.

19:00 Bottas fails to improve his middle sector as well.

19:00 Chequered flag, with most cars still on a hot lap.

19:00 Hamilton's improved his own first sector, but it's still slower than Bottas's overall.

18:59 Bottas is onto a flier, but he's not improved in the opening sector. Hamilton's to lose?

18:59 Bottas lights the rears up a little coming out of Turn 1. Could that be costly?

18:59 Everyone's back out now, although Grosjean's Q3 is over after that sole flier.

18:57 Grosjean can't get near Massa and goes eighth, 0.4s slower than the Williams.

18:57

18:57 Palmer is told "you have plenty of space, so think about your tyre temperatures, that's the main thing here".

18:57 As before, the Red Bulls lead the charge out of the pits from that early group.

18:56 Both Renaults have left the pitlane now, and have begun to wind up for their sole efforts in this shootout. Grosjean's halfway through his flier now.

18:55 As the early runners pit for new boots, Grosjean heads out.

18:55 Current polesitter Hamilton is told "you are nearly a tenth down to Valtteri in sector one".

18:54 "I'm still struggling like crazy with the understeer," complains Raikkonen.

18:53 Vettel's not quite got the legs of the two Mercedes drivers – he's four tenths down and a comfortable third. Raikkonen's 0.4s further back in the second Ferrari.

18:53 Massa's fifth, 0.3s slower than Ricciardo.

18:52 Verstappen goes four tenths quicker than his team-mate to go third.