SAKHIR, Bahrain – In a thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix held on Sunday, Oscar Piastri emerged victorious, narrowing the gap in the championship standings to just three points behind his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris.
Piastri, starting from pole position, expertly managed the race, pulling away after a safety car period. This win marks his second of the season and the fourth in his Formula 1 career.
The final margin of victory for Piastri was 15.4 seconds, although this number doesn`t fully reflect the captivating race that unfolded behind him.
Following the race, Piastri expressed his delight: “It`s fantastic to achieve this result here. It`s been an amazing weekend, starting strong in qualifying and finishing the job today in style. I`m especially proud to do it in Bahrain, a significant race for our team owners. This track hasn`t traditionally been favorable to us, so securing our first team win here is particularly satisfying,” he added.
Mercedes` George Russell played a crucial role in Piastri`s championship push by finishing second and holding off Norris in the closing laps. Russell described his extended stint on soft tires as “audacious,” which ultimately secured him the runner-up position.
Russell faced gearbox and DRS issues in the latter stages of the race. However, stewards cleared him of any wrongdoing related to DRS usage, confirming he gained no unfair advantage.
Russell commented: “Initially, it felt controlled, but suddenly we had a brake-valve wire failure. The pedal travel became inconsistent, and the steering wheel malfunctioned, making it challenging to keep Lando behind. Another lap, and he might have overtaken me. Nevertheless, I`m very happy with P2.”
Norris, who confessed to struggling with his McLaren`s handling on Saturday, started from sixth and delivered a remarkable recovery drive to secure a podium finish.
The British driver was penalized five seconds for a grid position infringement and had a busy race filled with errors during wheel-to-wheel battles. He ran wide while battling Charles Leclerc and went off-track to overtake Lewis Hamilton, necessitating him to yield the position. It was an uncharacteristically messy race for the preseason favorite.
Norris admitted to making “too many mistakes in overtakes.”
“It was a messy race from my side, and I`m disappointed we couldn`t secure a one-two finish for McLaren, which would have been amazing. It`s a tough result, but there are still positives to take away,” he stated.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth, respectively, for Ferrari. The team`s strategic decision to start their drivers on differing tire strategies compared to the top ten was somewhat undermined by a safety car deployment, which neutralized their advantage. Prior to the safety car, Ferrari appeared to be strong contenders for a podium.
Max Verstappen overtook Alpine`s Pierre Gasly late in the race for sixth place, but Gasly still celebrated Alpine`s first points of the season.
Esteban Ocon rebounded from his qualifying crash with an impressive drive to eighth, while Yuki Tsunoda earned his first points for Red Bull in ninth.
Oliver Bearman completed the top ten for Haas, continuing the American team`s positive start to the season.
Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli had an eventful race, showcasing aggressive late-braking maneuvers and a close battle with Verstappen, eventually finishing 11th, highlighting the learning curve for the young driver.
Liam Lawson received two penalties, dropping him to 17th: a five-second penalty for a collision with Lance Stroll and a ten-second penalty for a later incident with Nico Hulkenberg.
