Atanaria
The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix delivered a thrilling blend of strategy, skill, and resilience — and at the center of it all was Oscar Piastri, who produced a commanding performance to take his second victory of the season and firmly establish himself as a serious title contender.
From pole to the chequered flag, Piastri was in a league of his own. The Australian’s win was as clinical as it was composed, with the McLaren driver never once looking threatened. His dominance marked a historic moment for McLaren, as they celebrated victory at the home race of their Bahraini shareholders for the first time.
While Piastri’s drive was serene, the battle behind him was anything but.
George Russell pulled off a gutsy and gritty drive to hold on to second place in his Mercedes. Despite a series of electrical issues that caused failures in his brake-by-wire system and forced him to juggle multiple resets per lap, Russell managed to fend off a late charge from Lando Norris. Even a DRS mishap — the result of a backup button being accidentally triggered — didn’t derail his defensive masterclass.
Lando Norris, who started sixth and was hit with a five-second penalty for a false start, clawed his way back through the field with a determined drive. He overtook Charles Leclerc late in the race and was within striking distance of Russell on the final lap, but a mistimed lunge into Turn One cost him a real chance at a move. Still, third place and fastest lap keeps him three points ahead of Piastri in the standings — McLaren’s intra-team rivalry is officially on.
Ferrari had a solid, if unspectacular, outing with Leclerc in fourth and Hamilton in fifth. Leclerc’s alternative tyre strategy briefly paid dividends before the safety car shuffled the deck, and Hamilton had a quiet run to a lonely fifth.
For Red Bull, it was a weekend to forget. Max Verstappen, a week removed from a dazzling win in Japan, was anonymous throughout the race. A combination of poor pace, tyre struggles, and two sluggish pit stops left him stuck in sixth. He now trails the McLaren duo in the championship and will be looking to regroup.
Pierre Gasly gave Alpine something to celebrate with a hard-fought seventh — the team’s first points of the season — while Esteban Ocon staged a brilliant recovery to eighth after starting 15th. Haas continued their consistent form with Oliver Bearman scoring a point in 10th, sandwiching Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull in ninth.
Takeaways:
- Piastri’s win cements his status as a genuine title threat.
- McLaren look like the team to beat — but Norris will be ruing a missed one-two.
- Russell proved his mettle under pressure, rescuing a podium from a malfunctioning car.
- Red Bull’s dominance looks well and truly under threat, with Verstappen now third in the standings.
If Bahrain is a sign of what’s to come, the 2025 season could be one for the ages.
