Lewis Hamilton believes Charles Leclerc has usurped four times world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari's favourite.
Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher, winner at Silverstone last year, qualified a disappointing ninth.
The 23-year-old Spaniard lapped the Magny-Cours circuit in one minute 14.412 seconds for his third pole in 10 races this season.
McLaren's Spanish test driver Pedro de la Rosa, who will not compete on Sunday, was the fastest but it was Renault's championship leader and compatriot Fernando Alonso who came closest to his time.
Race leader Kimi Raikkonen crashed out with one lap remaining.
Fernando Alonso reiterated his long-term love and loyalty to Ferrari on Friday after McLaren, the Formula One team he left in acrimonious circumstances in 2007, said they would be keen to sign him.
Renault's championship leader Fernando Alonso finished second ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli in a Toyota.
"He's got the old matador spirit, that's for sure."
Nobody leaving Imola could doubt that the battle lines were drawn for what promises to be a thrillingly competitive season.
Jordan's Indian ace posted his third finish in four races in the Formula One championship.
The 21-year-old Alonso has a star quality like no other Spaniard in Formula One since the 1950s.
Jarno Trulli was second for Toyota, while Michael Schumacher took third place in the new F2005 in the first qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel's hopes of fighting champions Mercedes for victory in Sunday's Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix went up in smoke before the start when his Ferrari's engine blew on the formation lap.
Fernando Alonso indicated his Formula One future was in his own hands despite Red Bull announcing on Saturday that four time world champion Sebastian Vettel was leaving to join Ferrari.
Jaguar team boss Tony Purnell feels the Australian driver is a world champion in the making.
Ferrari are planning to add female racers to their expanding young driver programme as they seek to develop talent for the future.
The reigning World champion gave his new Ferrari a winning debut in Spain on Sunday as title leaders McLaren were reduced to mere spectators.
"I think he is in the perfect position. Honestly, he has a strong car, they're very quick, very consistent," Schumacher said.
'I appreciate the quest for safety but this is Formula One and the way it is now is perfectly fine' 'I am sad for the sport... it doesn't look right from outside when in one week we change the qualifying format three times'
Sebastian Vettel cruised to a third straight Singapore Grand Prix victory on Sunday and moved closer to a fourth consecutive Formula One world title with a dominant drive under the floodlights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Sebastian Vettel continued his imperious march towards a fourth consecutive Formula One world championship by storming to pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday after dominating the two days of practice.
Unlike the Australian GP, where the majority of drivers carried out only one pit-stop, of Sunday's second race of the season, at Sepang, Malaysia, will see at least two, says Raja Sen.
Kimi Raikkonen will race for Ferrari next season after agreeing a two-year deal that takes the 2007 Formula One World champion back to the glamour team he left in 2009.
The Finn's lap of one minute 17.221 seconds around Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya was the second fastest of the eight days of winter testing and slower only than team mate Sebastian Vettel's best on Thursday.
The writing has been on the wall for Sebastian Vettel since September 2018 when Ferrari announced Charles Leclerc as his Formula One team mate. The German, who will leave the Italian team at the end of a pandemic-hit 2020 season that has yet to start, was top dog at Maranello at the time but Leclerc was young, hungry and determined.
Vandoorne qualified 17th at the previous race in Bahrain, 16th in China and 18th in the Australian season-opener, with 20 cars on the grid.
Final practice for the Formula One Grand Prix was twice delayed on Saturday due to smog shrouding the circuit and preventing the medical helicopter from operating.
Mick Schumacher, son of seven times world champion Michael, made his Formula One test debut with Ferrari on Tuesday at the Bahrain circuit, where 15 years ago his father won the first Grand Prix in the Middle East.
Fernando Alonso hopes to extend his Ferrari contract beyond the end of 2016 and reckons he could have 10 more years of racing in Formula One.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is sure to win this year's Formula One title and Ferrari's focus is now on finishing ahead of Mercedes in the constructors' championship, Fernando Alonso said on Saturday.
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