Piastri Leads McLaren 1-3 as Russell Splits the Pair in Bahrain

Oscar Piastri - On the grid (Photo by Damian Hall / Creative Drones Inc)

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri powered to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix after a commanding performance from pole position, while teammate Lando Norris recovered from a time penalty to claim third behind Mercedes' George Russell — who is now under post-race investigation for a DRS malfunction. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth, with Sir Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top five.

Piastri led from the front under the lights at Sakhir and held his nerve through a full safety car restart on lap 36, converting his early advantage into a memorable first win for the team at this circuit.

“Great to have this result out here,” said the Australian. “It’s been an incredible weekend. To finish the job today in style was nice. I can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given us — it is pretty handy out there.”

The opening laps were full of drama, with Russell and Leclerc launching off the front row but surprised by Norris, who surged into third from sixth on the grid by the end of lap one. The McLaren driver would later receive a five-second penalty for starting outside his designated box, adding extra tension to an already aggressive race.

Ferrari were the only top team to start on the medium tyres, and the decision looked inspired as the Scuderia came alive after the first round of pit stops. Both cars extended their initial stints and found themselves with fresher rubber when others switched to mediums mid-race.

The strategic shake-up came on lap 33 when debris brought out a full safety car. Almost the entire field took the opportunity to pit again, setting up a sprint to the finish.

Upon the restart, Hamilton overtook Norris, who quickly fought back and reclaimed the position — but did so off track and was instructed to give it back. Norris later made the move stick and then turned his attention to Leclerc in the closing laps. A brilliant wheel-to-wheel battle followed, and Norris finally got through on lap 53 after relentless pressure.

“A tough race,” Norris admitted. “I made too many mistakes with the overtakes and out of position. A messy race from me and disappointed not to bring home a 1–2 for McLaren. But it was good racing throughout — on the limit, as it should be.”

Russell finished second on the road despite battling car issues in the final laps, though he now awaits a stewards' decision regarding an unintentional DRS activation triggered via his radio button.

“It felt all under control, and then suddenly we had a brake-by-wire failure… One more lap and Lando would have got me,” Russell said. “Oscar was in a league of his own so congratulations to him and McLaren.”

Behind Hamilton in fifth, Max Verstappen had a subdued evening in sixth — a rare off-day for Red Bull’s reigning champion. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly scored the team’s first points of the season in seventh, while Esteban Ocon delivered a valuable result for Haas in eighth.

Yuki Tsunoda came home ninth to secure Red Bull’s first double-points finish of the year, and rookie Oliver Bearman claimed the final point in tenth after starting from P20 — a sensational result for the Haas debutant.

Full Results:

1. Oscar Piastri (Australia, McLaren), 2. George Russell (United Kingdom, Mercedes), 3. Lando Norris (United Kingdom, McLaren), 4. Charles Leclerc (Monaco, Ferrari), 5. Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom, Ferrari), 6. Max Verstappen (Netherlands, Red Bull), 7. Pierre Gasly (France, Alpine), 8. Esteban Ocon (France, Haas), 9. Yuki Tsunoda (Japan, Red Bull), 10. Oliver Bearman (United Kingdom, Haas), 11. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Italy, Mercedes), 12. Alexander Albon (Thailand, Williams), 13. Jack Doohan (Australia, Alpine), 14. Isack Hadjar (France, RB), 15. Fernando Alonso (Spain, Aston Martin), 16. Liam Lawson (New Zealand, RB), 17. Lance Stroll (Canada, Aston Martin), 18. Gabriel Bortoleto (Brazil, Kick Sauber), 19. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spain, Williams – DNF),  20. Nico Hülkenberg (Germany, Kick Sauber - DQ)

Piastri Leads McLaren 1-3 as Russell Splits the Pair in Bahrain by Damian Hall