Oscar Piastri dominates the Bahrain GP as Russell holds off Norris in a thrilling finish

The floodlights blazed, the engines roared, and the Bahrain International Circuit delivered another classic desert showdown for Round 4 of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship. Emerging victorious from the chaos was McLaren's Oscar Piastri, converting his second career pole position into a commanding second win of the season. However, the dream McLaren 1-2 was thwarted by a tenacious George Russell (Mercedes), who brilliantly defended second place from a charging Lando Norris in the closing laps.

It was a race packed with incident, strategy gambles, penalties, and thrilling wheel-to-wheel action, ensuring the Sakhir circuit kept fans on the edge of their seats for all 57 laps.

Pre-Race Tension: Penalties Shake Up the Grid

While Piastri secured a brilliant pole position on Saturday, showcasing McLaren's dominant pace all weekend, the starting grid saw a shake-up before the lights even went out. Both Mercedes drivers, George Russell and rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli, received one-place grid penalties for a procedural infringement during qualifying (entering the pit lane queue too early during a red flag). This promoted Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to the front row alongside Piastri, demoted Russell to P3, elevated Alpine's Pierre Gasly to a stellar P4, and placed Antonelli in P5 – still a career-best start for the young Italian.

Championship leader Lando Norris faced a tougher task, starting down in P6 after failing to hook up his final Q3 lap, while Red Bull Racing, winners just last weekend, lined up a surprisingly subdued P7 (Max Verstappen) and P10 (Yuki Tsunoda), struggling with car balance and braking issues. Further back, Carlos Sainz impressed by putting his Williams into Q3 (starting P8), while Esteban Ocon lined up P14 for Haas after his mechanics worked hard to repair his car following a Q2 crash.

Tyre strategy was immediately a talking point, with most front-runners opting for used soft tyres, but Leclerc and Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton (starting P9) bucked the trend on new mediums, hinting at a longer first stint.

Lights Out and Early Drama

As the five lights went out, Piastri made a clean getaway to lead into Turn 1. Behind him, chaos unfolded. Russell, utilising the grip advantage of his soft tyres, surged past the medium-shod Leclerc and locked up, narrowly avoiding contact with the leading McLaren. Norris, meanwhile, made a lightning start from P6, capitalising on Leclerc getting boxed in to snatch P3. An incredible opening few corners for the McLaren duo, though Piastri's evening was immediately complicated by his teammate's proximity.

However, drama struck Norris almost immediately. He was noted for being out of position in his grid box – replays confirmed his car had crept forward before the start. A five-second time penalty, announced on Lap 8, was inevitable, adding another layer of complexity to his race.

Piastri quickly established a lead, breaking the DRS gap to Russell by Lap 3. Norris shadowed Russell, knowing he needed to build a gap before serving his penalty during his pit stop. Further back, Leclerc complained of "inconsistent" brakes, while Antonelli and Verstappen engaged in a feisty battle with Sainz, the Williams driver eventually yielding P7 and P8.

Strategy Unfolds: Undercuts and Tyre Choices

The pit window opened early, triggered by Norris pitting on Lap 11 to serve his penalty and switch to mediums. Gasly and Verstappen followed, Verstappen notably taking the hard compound tyre – a choice few others would make initially. A slow stop hampered Verstappen, costing him valuable time, an issue later mirrored by teammate Tsunoda, seemingly related to the pit stop light system.

Russell pitted on Lap 15 to cover the undercut threat from Norris, emerging ahead. Piastri responded a lap later, retaining his net lead. The Ferrari pair of Leclerc and Hamilton ran longer on their mediums, briefly leading the race before making their stops on Lap 18 for another set of mediums, committing them to a two-stop strategy.

The middle phase saw battles rage throughout the field. Leclerc, on fresher tyres, hunted down and passed Norris for P3 on Lap 25 after an initial failed attempt. Hamilton, after his later stop dropped him into traffic, fought his way past Doohan (Alpine) and then easily dispatched a struggling Verstappen (Lap 23), who complained bitterly about his hard tyres and overheating. Antonelli also showed his class, pulling off a great move on Verstappen for P8 (Lap 20).

Safety Car Throws a Spanner in the Works

Just as the race seemed to settle, Lap 31 brought contact between Yuki Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz as they battled for P6. Tsunoda appeared to misjudge his braking, sliding into the side of the Williams, shedding carbon fibre debris onto the track.

This triggered the Safety Car on Lap 33, erasing Piastri's comfortable seven-second lead and sparking a frenzy in the pit lane. The timing was perfect for the leaders, with Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Norris, and Hamilton all diving in for "cheap" pit stops. McLaren stuck with mediums, Russell audaciously opted for softs, while Ferrari chose hards – a compound that hadn't looked favourable earlier. Sainz and Tsunoda also pitted. Kimi Antonelli was a loser in this phase, pitting a third time and dropping down the order.

Frantic Run to the Flag

The restart on Lap 36 saw Piastri manage the pack perfectly. Russell held P2 on his grippy softs, while Norris initially got boxed in behind Leclerc before dispatching Hamilton (after briefly passing off-track and correctly giving the place back) and then setting off after the Ferrari.

The final stint was defined by intense battles and emerging issues. Norris, on mediums, relentlessly pursued Leclerc on the less-favoured hards, eventually making the move stick into Turn 4 on Lap 52 for the final podium spot. Attention then turned to the gap ahead. Russell reported gear selection issues and a potential DRS problem requiring manual deployment (Lap 52/53). Norris sensed his chance.

Further back, penalties flew: Sainz received 10 seconds for an earlier incident forcing Antonelli off track (Lap 44), and Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) copped two penalties – 5 seconds for contact with Stroll and later 10 seconds for colliding with Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber).

In the points battle, Pierre Gasly drove a superb race to P7, securing Alpine's first points of 2025. Esteban Ocon grabbed P8 for Haas, and Yuki Tsunoda salvaged P9 for Red Bull, securing their first double-points finish despite a difficult weekend. The final point was claimed by Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, a stunning drive from P20 on the grid after issues in qualifying.

The Final Lap Showdown

Piastri cruised towards the chequered flag, untroubled throughout the 57 laps. All eyes were on the battle for second. Norris closed rapidly on the struggling Russell, getting within DRS range on the penultimate lap. On the final lap, Norris probed, looking outside at Turn 1, but Russell defended masterfully. Norris couldn't get close enough through the crucial sequences, and Russell held firm, crossing the line just ahead to secure P2. Verstappen managed a late pass on Gasly to claim P6.

Podium and Post-Race

Piastri celebrated his second victory of the year, McLaren's first ever in Bahrain, joined on the podium by a relieved Russell and a slightly frustrated Norris. The celebrations were slightly muted by the news that Russell was under investigation for a DRS infringement during the race, though ultimately no further action was taken.

Key Takeaways:

Piastri Imperious: A flawless drive from the Australian, controlling the race from pole despite the Safety Car erasing his lead. He closes the gap to Norris in the championship.
McLaren Pace: The MCL38 was the class of the field in Bahrain, though Norris's penalty and Russell's defence prevented a 1-2.
Russell Resilient: A fantastic defensive drive under pressure with potential car issues secured a valuable P2 for Mercedes.
Ferrari Solid: Leclerc salvaged P4 after brake issues and a less optimal strategy under the Safety Car, with Hamilton recovering well to P5.
Red Bull Off-Form: A weekend to forget for the reigning champions, struggling for pace and hampered by operational issues (slow stops).
Midfield Points Haul: Crucial first points for Alpine (Gasly P7) and strong results for Haas (Ocon P8, Bearman P10 from P20).
Bearman Shines: A remarkable recovery drive from the Haas rookie to score a point from the back row.

The Bahrain Grand Prix delivered excitement, drama, and a shake-up in the expected order. Piastri and McLaren laid down a marker, but Russell and Mercedes showed their fighting spirit, while Ferrari remain consistently in the mix. Formula 1 now heads to Saudi Arabia, where the high-speed Jeddah street circuit promises another thrilling chapter in this unfolding 2025 season.