Piastri dominates F1 Bahrain GP
MANAMA: Oscar Piastri delivered a clinical, lights-to-flag victory at the 2025 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, reinforcing McLaren's status as championship favorites.
The 24-year-old Australian led every lap from pole position and crossed the line over 15 seconds ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, claiming his second win in four races so far in 2025. The win also marks his 50th career race in the championship and moves him up to second in the Drivers' Championship, three points behind teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri's performance was a masterclass in control and consistency, with the Australian shrugging off the disruption of a mid-race Safety Car caused by a collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz.
"It's a really special feeling to win here," Piastri said post-race. "The car felt great all weekend, and the team absolutely nailed the strategy. I just had to bring it home."
McLaren enjoyed a double podium finish, with Lando Norris finishing third after having qualified a disappointing sixth. Despite receiving a five-second time penalty for a jump start, Norris charged through the field with precision and overtook both Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen in the latter stages to secure valuable points. Norris retains the lead in the Drivers' Championship with 77 points, three ahead of his teammate.
Russell split the McLarens with a strong drive. The Briton showed steady pace and managed tire degradation better than most of his rivals, continuing his impressive run of form that has kept Mercedes within touching distance of McLaren in the Constructors' standings.
Ferrari's Leclerc finished fourth after battling tire issues late in the race, while teammate Lewis Hamilton took fifth following a clean and consistent run from seventh on the grid. The Scuderia pair lacked the outright pace to challenge for the podium but maximized their opportunities on a challenging day for tire management.
Last week's winner Max Verstappen endured a frustrating weekend. Struggling with brake issues and two sluggish pit stops, the reigning world champion could only manage sixth - a result that further compounds Red Bull's early-season struggles and fuels speculation over Verstappen's future with the team.
Behind the leaders, Pierre Gasly finished seventh with a strong performance for Alpine's first points of 2025, holding off Haas' Esteban Ocon, who delivered an encouraging drive to eighth. Verstappen's teammate Tsunoda was ninth despite his incident with Sainz, while Oliver Bearman made it a double points finish for Haas with a composed run to 10th from last on the grid.
With McLaren pulling 58 points clear of Mercedes at the top of the Constructors' standings, all eyes now turn to the high-speed streets of Jeddah for next weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
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