Oscar Piastri delivered a noteworthy performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix, securing his second victory of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Starting from pole position, the McLaren driver was in full control throughout the race at the Bahrain International Circuit, marking his 50th Grand Prix start with a win as he became the first repeat winner of the season. Sunday’s triumph also marked McLaren’s first-ever victory at their Bahraini owners’ home circuit in Sakhir, breaking a long-standing streak of challenges at this venue.
Piastri faced early pressure from Mercedes’ George Russell, who locked up into Turn 1 but managed to maintain his position. Meanwhile, Piastri steadily built a gap, going through the abrasive track and hot conditions with ease.
His lead briefly came under threat during a Safety Car period that wiped out his initial advantage. Still, Piastri executed a clean restart and rebuilt his lead, ultimately crossing the finish line with a margin of 15.499 seconds ahead of Russell.
The race also saw drama unfold for Piastri’s teammate, Lando Norris. Starting sixth after a tough qualifying session, Norris quickly climbed to third during the opening laps but was penalized five seconds for being out of position on the grid. He served this penalty during an early pit stop and later engaged in a gripping battle with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Norris eventually overtook Leclerc on Lap 52 and closed in on Russell but fell short of overtaking him before the checkered flag. Norris finished third, completing a double podium for McLaren.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five while reigning champion Max Verstappen struggled with pit stop issues and finished sixth, with teammate Yuki Tsonada finishing ninth. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly scored his team’s first points of the season in seventh place, followed by Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and rookie Oliver Bearman in eighth and tenth, respectively.
This victory propelled Piastri to second place in the drivers’ standings with 74 points, just three behind teammate Norris. McLaren also strengthened their lead in the constructors’ standings with 151 points, well ahead of Mercedes’ 93 points.
