Having had the upper hand against his teammate during free practice and qualifying, Oscar Piastri finished a perfect weekend with a race win and the fastest lap in his 4th F1 victory.
Final Standings for Bahrain GP
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | 1:35:39.435 | 25 |
| 2 | 63 | Russell | Mercedes | 57 | +15.499s | 18 |
| 3 | 4 | Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +16.273s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Leclerc | Ferrari | 57 | +19.679s | 12 |
| 5 | 44 | Hamilton | Ferrari | 57 | +27.993s | 10 |
| 6 | 1 | Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 57 | +34.395s | 8 |
| 7 | 10 | Gasly | Alpine Renault | 57 | +36.002s | 6 |
| 8 | 31 | Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +44.244s | 4 |
| 9 | 22 | Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 57 | +45.061s | 2 |
| 10 | 87 | Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +47.594s | 1 |
| 11 | 12 | Antonelli | Mercedes | 57 | +48.016s | 0 |
| 12 | 23 | Albon | Williams Mercedes | 57 | +48.839s | 0 |
| 13 | 27 | Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +53.472s | 0 |
| 14 | 6 | Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 57 | +56.314s | 0 |
| 15 | 7 | Doohan | Alpine Renault | 57 | +57.806s | 0 |
| 16 | 14 | Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 57 | +60.340s | 0 |
| 17 | 30 | Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 57 | +64.435s | 0 |
| 18 | 18 | Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 57 | +65.489s | 0 |
| 19 | 5 | Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +66.872s | 0 |
| NC | 55 | Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 45 | DNF | 0 |
Flawless Performance
Oscar Piastri has secured his 4th win in Formula 1 and McLaren’s first in Bahrain, their second home race. He was in control from the off, holding his position into turn one and building an immediate lead over George Russell in 2nd. The Australian driver executed a flawless race strategy, managing both his pace and tire degradation masterfully throughout the 57 laps.
Norris Recovers from Early Penalty
His teammate Lando Norris had an excellent start, moving from 6th to 3rd in the opening corners, only to later receive a 5-second penalty after he had moved beyond the confines of his grid box. The eagle-eyed Max Verstappen was quick on the radio to let his team know that Lando had crept forward before the lights went out.
Despite the setback, Norris mounted an impressive recovery drive. After serving his penalty, he emerged behind the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. While he easily dispatched Hamilton, Leclerc defended brilliantly, keeping the McLaren driver at bay. Without the Monegasque’s stellar defending, Norris might have joined his teammate on the second step of the podium.
Safety Car Drama
Even a late safety car couldn’t throw Piastri off his stride. Following the restart, he immediately reestablished his dominance, eventually crossing the finish line a commanding 16 seconds ahead of Russell, with Norris completing the podium.
Hamilton Shines for Ferrari
Driver of the Day, Lewis Hamilton, made up for a poor qualifying session to finish 5th behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, earning Ferrari some much-needed points after their shock double disqualification in China. The seven-time world champion demonstrated his race craft with several decisive overtakes through the field.
Champions Struggle
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen had a race to forget as he struggled for grip on the hard tires. A quick decision to stay out during a safety car helped him gain track position, allowing him to salvage 6th place – a disappointing result by his lofty standards.
Midfield Battles
Pierre Gasly scored his and Alpine’s first points of the season after an incredible qualifying performance put him in the top 10. He finished only 2 seconds behind his former teammate Max Verstappen, suggesting Alpine may have found some much-needed pace.
Further back, Carlos Sainz’s woes continued as his Williams career has yet to spark to life. He started well but came into contact with the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda, causing enough damage to retire the car with 10 laps remaining.
Rookie Watch
Oliver Bearman: Started 20th, finished 10th – Another impressive performance from the rookie.
Kimi Antonelli: Started 5th, finished 11th – Dissappointing day. Had the pace but couldn’t make it count.
Isaac Hadjar: Started 12th, finished 14th – Couldn’t repeat his point scoring heroics that we saw in Japan. still finished 12 seconds ahead of his teammate Liam Lawson.
Jack Doohan: Started 11th, finished 15th – Was running in the points at one stage but faded away towards the end.
Liam Lawson: Started 17th, finished 17th – Lacks confidence. Had multiple time penalties.
Gabriel Bortoleto: Started 18th, finished 19th – Hard to make a proper judgement as he’s in one of the worst cars on the grid.
P1 Predict Rookie of the week: Bearman
Championship Implications
Oscar Piastri now sits just 3 points behind Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship, which is looking increasingly competitive. McLaren’s double podium finish has also strengthened their position in the Constructors’ standings, suggesting they may be the team to beat in 2025.
As Formula 1 heads to Saudi Arabia, all eyes will be on whether Piastri can maintain this exceptional form and challenge his teammate for the championship lead in what promises to be an dicey intra-team battle.
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