Oscar Piastri has made a clean sweep in Bahrain, taking the victory, his fourth career win, after securing pole position. The Australian driver made the most of a consistently strong McLaren, but the papaya team missed out on a one-two finish as George Russell claimed second place ahead of Lando Norris, whose result was under investigation for irregular use of the Drs. Ferrari missed out on a possible first podium of the season, with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth just ahead of an improving Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen defended his position to finish sixth, while rising star Kimi Antonelli fought well but ended up eleventh after three pit stops. Norris remains the championship leader after four races with 77 points, three ahead of Piastri, followed closely by Verstappen with 69 and Russell with 63. Leclerc sits in sixth place with 32 points, ahead of Antonelli and Hamilton. In the constructors’ standings, Ferrari is fourth with 57 points, almost 100 points behind McLaren (151), who also lead Mercedes (93) and Red Bull (71). The championship is still wide open, but the direction it’s heading seems to suggest a predictable outcome, especially with the looming 2026 season with all its novelties. The day’s theme was evident right from the start: Leclerc, starting from the front row, immediately lost two positions due to tyre strategy and Russell’s quick start, but mainly due to Norris’ incredible performance from sixth on the grid. Antonelli also dropped back two places, while Verstappen lost one, with Piastri pulling away to an early lead. However, Norris was penalized with a five-second penalty for a grid position infringement, which he served during his pit stop.
The first round of pit stops saw the Ferraris, after leading with Leclerc ahead of Hamilton, coming in on lap 18, rejoining in fifth and eighth positions. After settling in, the two Ferrari drivers made their way up the order, with Leclerc taking third place from Norris on lap 25. The race dynamics shifted significantly with the entrance of the safety car on lap 32 due to debris on the track, reinvigorating the competition. All drivers made their final pit stops: McLaren and Red Bull switched to mediums, Ferrari opted for hard tyres, and Mercedes went for soft compounds. The restart saw immediate battles unfold. Norris tried to pass Leclerc for third but was overtaken by Hamilton, who then got past Leclerc. Norris reclaimed the position but was later forced to give it back to Hamilton before making a successful move on Leclerc with just five laps to go.
Despite an unsuccessful attempt to catch Russell, Norris expressed disappointment with his race performance, stating, “I made too many mistakes in the overtaking attempts, it was a tough race, and I’m disappointed not to bring home a one-two finish for McLaren. It’s tough, but there are some positives to take from it.” Piastri, on the other hand, was delighted with “the great work started yesterday and finished in style today,” setting the stage for a thrilling head-to-head battle in the 2025 season.
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