Pirelli F1 Hails Bahrain GP As Strategy Masterclass

Pirelli F1 praises Bahrain Grand Prix for its bold tire strategy mix, giving fans a glimpse of what’s coming next.

Oscar Piastri claimed victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix, delivering McLaren its first win of the season in what some consider a second “home race” for the team.

This marks Piastri’s fourth career win in Formula 1, matching the total of McLaren’s founder, Bruce McLaren. Even more impressively, the young Australian achieved his first career “grand slam” — pole position, fastest lap, and race win — during what was just his 50th Grand Prix.

George Russell secured second place for Mercedes, narrowly edging out Lando Norris in the second McLaren, who completed the podium in third.

Tire strategies played a central role in the race. Fifteen drivers started on soft tires, while the remaining five — both Ferraris, Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto — went for mediums. All three compounds saw action throughout the race, with medium tires used for 45.83% of the laps (517), hards for 28.01% (316), and softs for 26.15% (295).

“It was a spectacular race, full of battles and overtakes from start to finish,” said Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Head of Motorsport.

“The same tire compounds used last week in Suzuka were brought to Bahrain, and they delivered again — creating a wide range of strategy choices that made the race even more exciting.”

Despite cooler conditions compared to earlier sessions, tire wear remained high across all compounds. As a result, a two-stop strategy was essentially mandatory. Performance differences between the soft, medium, and hard tires were clear, but varied depending on the car and moment of the race — adding another layer of unpredictability.

“This is exactly what we aim for as a tire supplier,” Isola added. “To offer a reliable product that opens the door to strategic diversity. It’s then up to the teams to make it work.”

Could this be a glimpse of what’s to come? Starting from the Imola Grand Prix, Pirelli will introduce a softer range of tires. But first, all eyes turn to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian GP.

“We’re heading to a completely different type of track,” Isola noted. “And for the first time this season, we’ll be using compounds one step softer than what we saw here last year. Let’s see how it plays out.”

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Pirelli F1 Hails Bahrain GP As Strategy Masterclass Pirelli F1 Hails Bahrain GP As Strategy Masterclass