Oscar Piastri grabs pole in Bahrain, outshining Russell and Leclerc, while Verstappen struggles with car issues to finish only seventh.
Oscar Piastri claimed a stunning pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, edging out George Russell and Charles Leclerc in a dramatic qualifying session under the lights. It’s Piastri’s second career pole, and his second in a row – a powerful statement from the young McLaren driver.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris could only manage sixth, and reigning world champion Max Verstappen will start down in seventh after struggling with car issues throughout the session.
Hot Practice, Cool Qualifying – Track Conditions Shift the Game
The final practice session earlier in the day saw McLaren dominate under scorching track temperatures (43°C), but nightfall cooled the asphalt to 32°C. That shift gave other teams a fighting chance, and qualifying turned into a close and unpredictable battle.
Mercedes and Ferrari both showed strong pace, while AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) looked capable of joining the fight. French hopes rested on Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who were both in the mix during practice.
Q1 – Chaos, Surprises, and a Shaky Start for Verstappen
The action kicked off with Aston Martin drivers first out, but Max Verstappen had an early scare, complaining something was “really wrong” with the car after missing the final corner. Tsunoda set the early pace before Leclerc and Piastri traded top times, only to be beaten by Norris with a 1:31.107.
Late improvements shook up the order, with young talents like Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan impressing. Verstappen recovered to third, but it was clear he wasn’t comfortable.
Eliminated: Albon, Lawson, Bortoleto, Stroll, Bearman
(Hülkenberg’s lap was deleted for track limits, dropping him to P16.)
Q2 – Ocon Crashes, Mercedes in Trouble
The session was red-flagged after Esteban Ocon hit the wall at Turn 3. Thankfully, he was unharmed, but his car was badly damaged. When the session resumed, both Mercedes exited the pits before the official green light – a procedural error noted by the stewards.
On-track, Piastri delivered a brilliant 1:30.454 to top the timesheets again. Gasly stunned with P3, while Verstappen could only manage seventh. Hadjar just missed out on Q3 after having a lap deleted.
Eliminated: Doohan, Hadjar, Hülkenberg, Alonso, Ocon
Q3 – Piastri Shines, Verstappen Slips
As the final session got underway, Tsunoda outpaced Verstappen early on, and the Red Bull star continued to struggle, complaining about poor braking. Russell laid down a strong lap, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Piastri, who delivered a near-perfect lap: 1:30.841.
Leclerc squeezed into third, while Antonelli wowed once again in fourth. Gasly continued his surprise form in P5, outqualifying Norris, who made errors on his final run.
Hamilton and Sainz couldn’t break into the top five, and Verstappen, unusually, ended up only seventh.
Final Top 10 Grid (Post-penalties):
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)
Note: Both Mercedes drivers received grid penalties post-session, affecting their final positions.
A thrilling session with surprises at every stage — and with a grid this mixed up, Sunday’s race promises fireworks under the Bahrain lights.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Penaly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:31.392 | 1:30.454 | 1:29.841 | — |
| 02 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:31.454 | 1:31.724 | 1:30.175 | — |
| 03 | George Russell | Mercedes W16 | 1:31.494 | 1:30.664 | 1:30.009 | +1 |
| 04 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:31.462 | 1:30.643 | 1:30.216 | — |
| 05 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W16 | 1:31.415 | 1:30.716 | 1:30.213 | +1 |
| 06 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:31.107 | 1:30.560 | 1:30.267 | — |
| 07 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:31.303 | 1:31.019 | 1:30.423 | — |
| 08 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:31.591 | 1:30.844 | 1:30.680 | — |
| 09 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:31.219 | 1:31.009 | 1:30.772 | — |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:31.751 | 1:31.228 | 1:31.303 | — |
| 11 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:31.414 | 1:31.245 | — | |
| 12 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:31.591 | 1:31.271 | — | |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:31.634 | 1:31.886 | — | |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:31.594 | – :—.— | — | |
| 15 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:32.040 | — | ||
| 16 | Nico Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:31.998 | 1:31.693 | — | |
| 17 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:32.165 | — | ||
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:32.186 | — | ||
| 19 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:32.283 | — | ||
| 20 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:32.373 | — |
- Explore Further>Bahrain FP3: McLaren Duo Dominate as Qualifying Looms
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Piastri Stuns Field with Bahrain Pole as Verstappen Slips
Piastri Stuns Field with Bahrain Pole as Verstappen Slips