Race Start and Early Battles: Piastri enjoyed a clean getaway from pole position to maintain the lead; behind him, Leclerc had a poor start, allowing Russell and Norris to move into second and third respectively; Verstappen also struggled off the line, dropping behind Sainz; the Red Bull driver eventually settled into eighth position, just ahead of Hamilton.
Norris’ Penalty and Tyre Strategies: Norris, having lined up incorrectly on the grid, received a five-second penalty; as the soft tyres began to degrade, Norris was the first of the frontrunners to pit on lap 10, serving his penalty and switching to medium tyres; Verstappen and Gasly followed soon after, but Verstappen’s slow pit stop hampered his progress.
Lead Changes and Hamilton’s Charge: With the initial leaders pitting, Leclerc and Hamilton on medium tyres briefly led the race; however, Piastri and Russell soon regained the top spots; Hamilton, on fresher tyres after his stop, began to climb through the field, passing Tsunoda.
Verstappen’s Struggles and Antonelli’s Move: Verstappen continued to struggle with overheating issues, allowing Antonelli to overtake him on lap 20; shortly after, Hamilton also passed the Red Bull driver as he continued his forward momentum.
Piastri Extends Lead, Leclerc Battles Norris: At the front, Piastri gradually increased his lead over Russell, establishing a five-second gap by lap 24; behind them, Norris was under pressure from Leclerc, who eventually made a successful pass for third place on lap 25.
Safety Car Period: On lap 31, a collision between Tsunoda and Sainz resulted in debris on the track and the deployment of the Safety Car; this prompted a flurry of pit stops under the caution, with Piastri maintaining his lead ahead of Russell, Leclerc, Norris, and Hamilton.
Race Restart and Final Battles: Following the Safety Car period, Piastri held his lead; Hamilton and Norris engaged in a close battle for fourth, with Norris ultimately prevailing; Verstappen also made progress, overtaking Ocon for seventh.
Norris Passes Leclerc, Verstappen Gains on Gasly: In the closing stages, Norris continued to pressure Leclerc, finally retaking third place on lap 52; further back, Verstappen closed in on Gasly, making a pass on the very last lap to secure sixth position.
Piastri Takes Victory: Piastri controlled the final laps to take a comfortable victory, his second of the season; Russell finished second, though his result was under investigation for a DRS infringement; Norris completed the podium in third.
Race Results:
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull/Honda RBPT)
- Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes)
- Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber/Ferrari)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT)
- Jack Doohan (Alpine/Renault)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Ferrari) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes) – Retirement
Summary: Oscar Piastri delivered a dominant performance to win the Bahrain Grand Prix for McLaren, leading from pole position; George Russell finished second ahead of Lando Norris, who recovered from a penalty; late battles throughout the field provided excitement, with Verstappen securing sixth on the final lap.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on the race report and results available at the time of writing. Any potential investigations or official changes to the results are not reflected herein.
