McLaren’s Australian driver Oscar Piastri crosses the finish line through the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix on the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on April 13, 2025. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / POOL / AFP)
Oscar Piastri powered to victory on the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, coasting clear from George Russell’s Mercedes to keep up McLaren’s strong begin to the season.
Pole-sitter Piastri kept his composure in an incident-packed race to offer the Bahraini-backed McLaren team a primary ever win on the twenty first attempt in a race at their ‘second home’.
READ: F1: Oscar Piastri on pole in Bahrain Grand Prix with Lando Norris sixth
Piastri, who also won in China last month, crossed the road 15.499sec clear of Mercedes’ George Russell, who was under investigation for a difficulty with the DRS (drag reduction system), meaning he could have taken a five-second penalty.
After lengthy deliberations the FIA stewards decided Russell and Mercedes were blameless over the incident and had gained “no sporting advantage.”
Oscar’s fourth profession win in his fiftieth race 🥳
Piastri was a category apart in Bahrain 👊#F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/uq4dd27b82
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 13, 2025
Lando Norris in the opposite McLaren took third while Max Verstappen’s trying weekend on the desert track ended with the four-time world champion only managing sixth place.
Norris, the winner of the season opener in Melbourne, leads the drivers’ standings on 77 points, with Piastri overtaking Verstappen into second ahead of next weekend’s race in Jeddah.
READ: F1: Oscar Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix in McLaren one-two
There was no-one happier in the gang than the ruler of Bahrain, King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, whose sovereign fund owns McLaren.
“That needs to be one hell of a celebration tonight. Mega weekend everyone. That was pretty rattling fun,” Piastri said after marking his fiftieth start in perfect style.
“I’m proud to have done it here in Bahrain as well. It’s obviously an important race for us given our owners and it’s never been a track that has been kind to us so it’s nice to finally have that first win for the team here,” he added.
Taking the checkered flag under floodlights on a balmy Sunday evening within the Gulf kingdom was just reward after a weekend he had dominated, each in practice and in qualifying.
READ: F1: Max Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix for fourth straight 12 months
Norris, who began in sixth and picked up a five-second time penalty for being out of position on the grid, commented: “It was a tricky race. I made too many mistakes with the overtakes and being out of position.
“It was a messy race from me and I’m upset to not bring home a one-two for McLaren because that may have been lovely at home, it’s a tricky one but still a couple of positives.”
Charles Leclerc got here in fourth along with his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton fifth, ahead of Verstappen and Pierre Gasly earned Alpine’s first points of the 12 months on the fourth attempt.
Rounding out the highest 10 were Esteban Ocon (Haas), recovering from an enormous smash in qualifying, Yuki Tsunoda within the second Red Bull, and Ocon’s teammate Oliver Bearman.
Gloves off
Because the sun dipped down over the Gulf the beginning lights went out on the fourth race of the season with Piastri roaring off from pole and getting his gloves off early to fend off Russell’s Mercedes to show one.
Norris got a dream getaway, jumping from sixth to 3rd to muscle back into contention after a disappointing qualifying.
The anticipated news then arrived from the stewards about his start sanction and he was quickly ‘boxed’ to serve the penalty within the pits.
He resumed 14th with a fifth of the 57-lap race accomplished.
After pitting, Piastri emerged with Ferrari duo Leclerc and Hamilton in front of him, as Norris scythed his way through the pack up into sixth.
READ: F1: Dejected Lando Norris rues ‘clueless’ qualifying
The Australian was soon back in front when the 2 Ferraris were summoned in for a change of footwear.
Verstappen, winner in Japan last weekend, has not cut a contented figure in Bahrain, grumbling to his pitlane: “I can’t even brake anymore, it’s ridiculous.”
On the halfway point Piastri led from Russell, with Leclerc nipping past Norris into third.
With the security automobile then deployed to choose up debris at turn three Piastri took the chance to dive into the pits for a ‘free’ stop’, followed by his closest pursuers.
The restart was manic, with mayhem behind Piastri as Norris muscled past Hamilton who identified “Lando passed me off the track”.
Norris gave the position back, but just up the road sailed past the seven-time champion.
Entering the business end of the race, Piastri turned the screw to tug clear of Russell as Norris lunged past Leclerc.
