From Piastri’s cool pole to Mercedes’ setback, drivers reflect on a tight Bahrain session marked by fine margins and smart execution.
Piastri Delighted with Bahrain Pole Despite Tighter Competition Than Expected
Oscar Piastri secured a confident pole position in Bahrain, but McLaren didn’t quite dominate qualifying the way they had in free practice. Still, the young Australian is pleased with the team’s progress and feeling optimistic ahead of the race.
“I’ve felt comfortable from the start of the weekend,” Piastri said. “FP1 was wild—the car felt more like a rally car than a Formula 1 car—but after that, we found our rhythm. By FP3, the pace was there. In qualifying, the gap was closer than we’d hoped, but I’m really happy.”
Heading into the race, Piastri’s goal is simple: hold onto the lead off the line. He’s confident the car has what it takes, not just over one lap, but across a full Grand Prix distance.
“Step one is making it through Turn 1 in front,” he said. “Then we’ll see how it plays out. It’s been a strong weekend, and there’s no better place to start from than pole. I’m proud of what the team and the car have delivered.”
Russell Takes P2 in Bahrain but Stays Grounded About Victory Chances
George Russell delivered a strong performance in Bahrain, securing a front-row start alongside Oscar Piastri. While surprised to beat expectations, the Mercedes driver remains realistic about his chances of winning.
“Going into qualifying, the target was P3 behind the McLarens,” Russell admitted. “Everyone said if we were within half a second of them, we’d be happy—and now we’re starting second, so that’s a bonus. Big credit to Oscar for a great lap. I’m looking forward to the race.”
Earlier in the day, free practice had hinted at McLaren dominance. With cooler nighttime conditions during qualifying, Mercedes managed to close the gap—but Russell still sees Piastri and teammate Lando Norris, who starts sixth, as the real threats over race distance.
“We’ve got to be honest with ourselves. Conditions change a lot between day and night here,” he explained. “This morning in FP3, when it was hotter, the McLarens looked seriously fast. Starting second is a great opportunity, but we have to stay realistic about our chances of challenging Oscar on race pace.”
Update: Mercedes Duo Penalized, Leclerc Moves to Front Row in Bahrain
It’s official — both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have received grid penalties for the Bahrain Grand Prix following a post-qualifying investigation by the stewards.
The two Mercedes drivers were summoned after Q2 for an incident that occurred under red flag conditions. The team sent both cars to the end of the pit lane after Esteban Ocon’s crash — but crucially, they did so before race control had officially announced the restart time, which is not allowed under the regulations.
Russell had qualified an impressive second, with Antonelli also shining in P4 — but both drivers will now drop one position on the starting grid.
As a result, Charles Leclerc is promoted to the front row alongside Oscar Piastri, giving Ferrari a surprise boost ahead of the race. Meanwhile, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly moves up to fourth, securing a second-row start.
Leclerc Pleased with P3: Ferrari “Heading in the Right Direction”
Charles Leclerc wasn’t expecting much heading into qualifying in Bahrain — which made his third-place result all the more satisfying. The Ferrari driver is encouraged by the team’s progress and feels momentum is building.
“I didn’t think P3 was possible today,” Leclerc admitted. “I knew we had decent pace, but I had to be patient in Q1 and Q2 and let the track come to us. The first run in Q3 didn’t feel great on used tyres, but things improved on the fresh set.”
While Leclerc is staying humble, he’s clearly energized by how Ferrari has bounced back after a tricky few weeks.
“I’m really happy — I wasn’t expecting this,” he said. “But it shows we’ve learned from past mistakes. We’re finding the right direction, and each week we’re getting more performance out of the car.”
Ferrari brought a floor upgrade to Bahrain as part of a wider development push. Leclerc confirmed the updates are working — even if Bahrain’s layout doesn’t highlight their full potential.
“The team has worked hard on these upgrades, especially the new floor,” he explained. “This track isn’t where we’ll see the biggest gains, but the changes are already delivering. Next week in Jeddah, we should see even more of what they can do.”
Norris Frustrated After Qualifying: “I Had the Car for Pole — I Just Wasn’t Fast”
Lando Norris didn’t hide his disappointment after a tough qualifying session in Bahrain. The McLaren driver could only manage P6, four-tenths behind teammate Oscar Piastri, who took pole.
“I just wasn’t fast enough,” Norris said honestly. “I really don’t know why. I had the car to fight for pole, but today I just couldn’t hook it up.”
Clearly frustrated, Norris admitted he wasn’t in sync with the car when it mattered most. But he’s not giving up.
“I’ll dig into the data tonight and try to understand where things went wrong. It was a tough one, but at least it’s a track where you can overtake. Our race pace has looked strong all weekend.”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown echoed the disappointment but remains confident in Norris’ ability to bounce back.
“Tomorrow’s a new day,” Brown said. “He’s in a great car, he’s a great driver, and he’s still leading the championship. He just had a rough first sector — and that’s how tight Formula 1 is right now.”
Brown believes Norris still has a shot at a strong result.
“This race will be about smart strategy, probably more than one stop, maybe even a Safety Car. Lando’s got the pace — he just needs a clean start. We’ll support him all the way.”
Verstappen Puzzled After P7 Qualifying: “No Grip, No Brakes — No Idea What to Expect”
Max Verstappen is bracing for a tough Bahrain Grand Prix after a difficult qualifying session left him starting from seventh on the grid. The Red Bull driver has been struggling with the balance of the RB21 all weekend — and isn’t sure how Sunday will play out.
“It’s been a tricky weekend from the start,” Verstappen admitted. “The car hasn’t felt right. We’ve had braking issues, grip problems… it’s just been hard to find the right setup.”
Despite several changes to the car, Verstappen says the team still hasn’t found a clear direction.
“We made a lot of setup changes, but nothing really worked. It shows there are deeper issues we’re dealing with.”
He also revealed uncertainty about Red Bull’s strategy, including how the hard tyres will behave in race conditions.
“I’ve saved an extra set of hards, but honestly, I have no idea how they’ll perform,” he said. “They offer less mechanical grip, so I expect more sliding. But it gives us some flexibility, so we’ll see.”
When asked if his P7 result is a sign of trouble for Red Bull’s season, Verstappen remained focused but cautious.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s been a rough weekend, and all I can do is try to score as many points as possible. That’s always my goal — it doesn’t change because I’m starting seventh. Hopefully, there’s a bit of action out there.”
Tsunoda Makes Q3 but Stays Grounded: “Still Learning Where the Limit Is”
Yuki Tsunoda made it into Q3 with the Red Bull sister team, but finished 10th — nearly a full second off Verstappen’s pace.
“I’ll take it,” Tsunoda said. “Of course I want more, but considering how free practice went — and the fact that it’s only my second race with this car — I’ll take this result.”
Tsunoda admitted the car’s performance window is narrow, and finding consistency is still a work in progress.
“It’s not easy to stay in that sweet spot,” he explained. “I’m trying different things every session to get more comfortable. It’s normal to have ups and downs early on.”
Although his long-run pace didn’t look great in practice, Tsunoda is staying positive.
“The car still needs fine-tuning to suit my driving style. I’m not fully confident with it yet — but I’m getting there.”
Gasly Stuns with P5 in Bahrain: “Just Five Hundredths Off the Top 3!”
Pierre Gasly pulled off one of the surprise performances of the day in Bahrain, qualifying an impressive fifth for Alpine — just 0.04 seconds away from a spot in the top three. For a team that’s been chasing form since the start of the season, it was a much-needed boost.
“That was a really strong lap,” Gasly said after the session. “I’m very happy because in Q1 I wasn’t comfortable at all. The car was sliding everywhere, but the team guided me well on tyre prep and we made the most of what we had.”
Gasly praised Alpine’s ability to read the soft tyre performance throughout qualifying, crediting steady improvements across each session.
“The team did a fantastic job understanding how to get the best out of the tyres. We took a step forward each time. That lap in Q2 gave me the momentum I needed, and I was able to carry that into Q3.”
To finish within striking distance of a Ferrari was unexpected — and a clear sign of progress.
“Ending up just four hundredths from the top three is a big result. I wasn’t expecting to be that close, but I’m really happy for the team. We haven’t had the start to the season we wanted, but the car clearly has potential.”
Gasly knows Bahrain won’t play out like Suzuka, and he expects a tightly fought race with plenty of strategy at play.
“Nothing’s guaranteed. The midfield’s incredibly tight, and you can overtake here — it’s not like Japan. There’ll be different strategies on the table, so we need to be sharp. But it’s great to see that we’re competitive on a track like this. I’m excited. These first points are important, and we’ll give it everything.”
Doohan Narrowly Misses Q3: “Seventeen Thousandths… That One Hurts”
Jack Doohan came heartbreakingly close to joining Gasly in Q3, missing the cut by just 17 thousandths of a second. The young Australian was on pace throughout Q1 and most of Q2, but felt he left a bit of performance on the table in the final moments.
“I’m really disappointed right now,” Doohan admitted. “We had a strong qualifying — Q1 was great, and I felt good through most of Q2.”
But when it mattered most, things didn’t click.
“I just don’t think I got the tyres in the right window on that last run. Maybe it was the warm-up, maybe something else, but I didn’t feel like I got the full potential out of the fresh tyres.”
Running consistently in the top six during early sessions, Doohan knew how close he was — and how costly even the smallest margin can be.
“We were right there — P5 or P6 in Q1, and inside the top five for much of Q2. But with how tight the field is, if you miss anything, you’re out. That’s how it goes.”
Hamilton After P9 in Bahrain: “I Just Didn’t Deliver”
While Charles Leclerc pulled off a surprise P3 in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton had a much tougher Saturday in Bahrain — ending up only ninth on the grid and six-tenths off the Ferrari driver’s pace.
“It’s pretty simple — I just didn’t do a good enough job,” Hamilton admitted. “The delay before my final Q3 lap didn’t help, but honestly, that’s not the main reason.”
Hamilton was quick to take the blame, saying the car had more to offer than he was able to extract.
“Is it the car? No, not really. I’m just not getting the best out of it at the moment, and I need to keep working on that.”
With Leclerc showing what’s possible in the same machinery, Hamilton was left frustrated by his own performance.
“When you see Charles up in third, it’s clear the car is capable. I’m just not feeling great in the car right now. I don’t have many answers — I just wasn’t fast today.”
Starting from ninth will make the road ahead a challenging one, but Hamilton hasn’t given up hope.
“I’ll try to fight my way into the top five,” he said. “That’s the goal — we’ll see what’s possible tomorrow.”
Ocon Owns Up to Costly Crash: “My Mistake — That Shouldn’t Happen”
Esteban Ocon was the only Haas driver to reach Q2 in Bahrain, but his session came to a sudden end after a crash in Turn 3. The Frenchman admitted full responsibility for the incident, saying he pushed too hard out of Turn 2, lost control on the kerb, and hit the wall.
“I’m okay physically — but yeah, it was my mistake,” Ocon said. “I’m disappointed in myself today. I tried to push a bit more through Turn 2, ended up on the kerb, lost the car and hit the wall. That kind of mistake doesn’t usually happen to me in qualifying.”
The crash was a blow to Ocon and the Haas team, who had been showing signs of progress throughout the weekend.
“We’ve been working really hard for a while now, and I thought we were in a good place for a strong quali today. That makes it even more frustrating — I should’ve delivered more for the team.”
Despite the setback, Ocon remains optimistic about his chances in Sunday’s race.
“It’s not over. We’re still starting fairly close to the points, and I’ll give everything to fight back tomorrow.”
Bearman Struggles After Japan High: “I Just Couldn’t Put a Lap Together”
After a promising performance in Japan, Oliver Bearman had a tough return to reality in Bahrain, qualifying 20th and last on the grid. The young driver struggled with front locking all weekend and couldn’t build the confidence needed to push the limits.
“It just wasn’t a good lap,” Bearman admitted. “I’ve had issues with front locking all weekend, and that carried over into qualifying. It’s hard to trust the car when you’re fighting that problem.”
Bearman noted that he showed glimpses of pace earlier in the weekend, but it never came together when it counted.
“I had a decent time in FP2 despite the issues, but since then, it’s felt worse. When you don’t have confidence, you can’t extract the performance. We’ll see what we can do in the race tomorrow.”
Racing Bulls Face Frustrating Qualifying: Hadjar Misses Q3, Lawson Hit by DRS Glitch
It was a tough Saturday for Racing Bulls in Bahrain as both Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson were left frustrated after qualifying — one by tyre issues and the other by a malfunctioning DRS.
Isack Hadjar narrowly missed out on Q3, qualifying 12th, just half a tenth shy of the cut. Despite being in the mix, the French rookie wasn’t happy with how the session unfolded.
“It’s frustrating to miss Q3 by so little,” Hadjar said. “I struggled throughout qualifying. I was on a good lap, but the end of it fell apart — I was losing grip, had no real feel with the car, and it was a bit disappointing.”
Hadjar pointed to a sudden shift in wind conditions as the key factor in his drop in performance.
“Honestly, it was the wind,” he explained. “It changed today, and the car felt completely different from yesterday. I went from feeling great to feeling like I was driving something else entirely.”
Looking ahead to the race, Hadjar is preparing for a new kind of challenge.
“Tomorrow will be a first for me — I’ve never raced in a Grand Prix where tyre degradation plays a big role. In China and Japan, it was flat-out from start to finish. This time, it’s going to be about strategy and keeping a cool head. There’s definitely something to play for.”
Meanwhile, teammate Liam Lawson was left frustrated after a DRS issue cost him a spot in Q2. He ended up 17th, narrowly missing the cut.
“Unfortunately, yeah,” Lawson said. “Q1 was going well, then I opened the DRS and it just closed again. I had wheelspin, lost momentum — it’s frustrating.”
Lawson believes the car had the pace to go further, but everything needed to come together at the right moment.
“The car’s been quick this weekend during most of the practice sessions,” he said. “The challenge was always putting it all together — getting the setup right and hitting the lap when it counted. The potential was there, so it’s a shame. We should’ve been fighting for Q2, maybe even Q3 with that pace.”
Alonso Says P13 Was the Best Aston Martin Could Do in Bahrain
It was a tough qualifying session for Aston Martin in Bahrain, with Fernando Alonso managing only 13th and teammate Lance Stroll down in 19th. After the session, Alonso made it clear over team radio — there simply wasn’t more performance in the car.
“We maximized everything we had today,” Alonso said. “P13 was the best we could do. We used three sets of soft tyres just to make it out of Q1, which left us short on fresh tyres in Q2.”
The Spaniard admitted the team has been on the back foot all weekend and expects a challenging race ahead.
“We’ve been off the pace since Friday. Tomorrow’s race won’t be easy, but we’ll keep fighting. Hopefully, we can stay close enough to the points to take advantage if opportunities come our way.”
As for Lance Stroll, the Canadian was left frustrated after a session where the car just didn’t feel right.
“The setup didn’t come together today,” Stroll said. “The ride height was way too high, and that made the car hard to handle through the corners. We knew coming into Bahrain that this weekend might be tough — now it’s about seeing what we can learn and improve before the race.”
Antonelli Targets Bahrain Podium: “If Everything Goes Right, It’s Within Reach”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli continues to impress in his rapid rise through Formula 1, and his P4 qualifying result in Bahrain is the latest sign that the Mercedes rookie is quickly finding his rhythm. It didn’t come easy, though — the young Italian had to overcome serious pressure in Q3 after an early mistake.
“Qualifying was really intense,” Antonelli said. “Everything was super close — just two tenths could move you up four or five places. But I felt good in the car, the whole session flowed well.”
That momentum was almost lost when Antonelli pushed too hard on his first flying lap in Q3, running wide and having the time deleted. With everything riding on a single final attempt, the pressure was on.
“I overdid it a bit on my first lap and went off track, so the lap was cancelled,” he explained. “At that point, I knew I had to deliver. It wasn’t easy, but I’m really happy with P4 — it’s my best starting position of the season.”
Now starting from the second row, Antonelli isn’t hiding his ambition. With the field tightly matched and Mercedes showing solid long-run pace in FP2, he’s eyeing a shot at the podium.
“The long runs looked close on Friday, and our pace seemed strong,” he said. “It’s going to be intense. Tyre management will be key, and if I drive well and things go smoothly, I really believe a podium is possible.”
Sauber Drivers Not Expecting to Fight for Points in Bahrain
It was a disappointing qualifying session in Bahrain for the Sauber F1 Team, with neither driver expecting to challenge for points in Sunday’s race.
Nico Hülkenberg initially made it into Q2, but his fastest lap was later deleted for exceeding track limits — a decision that came long after the session had ended. The delay from race control allowed him to briefly compete in Q2, despite ultimately being classified 16th.
“Honestly, it was a decent qualifying,” Hülkenberg said. “We knew it was going to be tough. FP2 was tricky yesterday, and this morning we had limited running because of a power unit issue in FP3. It was always going to be tight, but I gave it everything, and I’m satisfied with that.”
Still, the German driver remains realistic about his chances in the race.
“Scoring points will be tough,” he admitted. “A lot of cars are on a similar pace — maybe even a bit quicker. We’re slightly behind, but you never know. Tomorrow’s going to be all about tyre management.”
Teammate Gabriel Bortoleto echoed that sentiment after a frustrating Q1 exit left him near the back of the grid.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing to be out in Q1 again,” Bortoleto said. “But to be honest, that’s about where we are right now. We’ll fight tomorrow — that’s all we can do.”
The Brazilian rookie isn’t expecting to break into the top 10 but hopes to make progress during the race.
“We’re more or less where our pace is at the moment. I’m not expecting to fight for points, but maybe we can pick up a few positions. Let’s see what’s possible.”
Williams F1: FW47 “Works Better” in Sainz’s Hands After P8 Qualifying
Carlos Sainz delivered a strong performance for Williams in Bahrain, qualifying eighth and giving the team a much-needed boost after a difficult start to the season. For the Spaniard, the result was proof of real progress — both from the car and from his growing confidence behind the wheel.
“On one hand, I’m really happy with the progress we’re making and the lap I put together today,” Sainz said. “I gained a lot of time and understanding throughout qualifying. That doesn’t mean every session will be like this now, but things definitely clicked better this weekend.”
Sainz credited steady development and a willingness to experiment for the improvement.
“I’m keeping my head down, just focused on taking steps forward,” he continued. “We’re going to different circuits, trying different setups and driving approaches. That process is helping — and we’ll keep pushing.”
With no specific target for the race, Sainz is focused on learning more about how the FW47 behaves under Bahrain’s unique demands — especially on rear tyre wear.
“We need to focus on running our own race,” he said. “Lewis and Yuki are behind us with faster cars, and this is a track where overtaking is possible, especially for cars with more downforce and better tyre management.”
“So far this season, the front end has been the issue at most tracks — but tomorrow it’s all about the rear tyres. Understanding how the car reacts in that condition will be key for me.”
Albon Caught Out by FIA Delay, But Admits Mistake Cost Him Q2 Run
While Sainz impressed, it was a frustrating day for Alexander Albon. The Thai driver technically qualified 15th but didn’t get a chance to run in Q2, after stewards delayed a decision to penalize Nico Hülkenberg for a track limits violation. By the time the ruling was made, Q2 had already started — too late for Albon to take part.
Despite the confusion, Albon admitted he didn’t deserve a better result.
“My final lap in Q1 should’ve been quicker anyway,” he said. “We were delayed getting out of the garage and ended up stuck in traffic at pit exit.”
“We planned to leave with four minutes to go, but got caught in that mess at pit lane. We sat there for a few minutes, tyre temps dropped by 20 to 25 degrees, and then we had to scramble just to make it across the line in time. I had to push, overtake a few cars just to start the lap — and the tyres were cold.”
Albon said Williams will take a hard look at what went wrong to avoid repeat issues later in the season.
“It was a procedural thing. We’re usually pretty good with that, but this one got away from us. We’ll review it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
- Explore Further>Piastri Takes Pole in Bahrain, Beating Russell and Leclerc, Verstappen Only Seventh
- Follow us on >FACEBOOK and >TWITTERfor F1 updates
Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all. Voices from the grid: Bahrain qualifying dissected by all.
