Bahrain GP: Oscar Piastri Wins, Russell Second, Norris Third

Oscar Piastri achieved a commanding victory, while George Russell narrowly beat Lando Norris for second place at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Piastri of McLaren led from start to finish, crossing the finish line 15 seconds ahead of Russell from Mercedes. His seven-second lead had been nullified earlier by a Safety Car.

Norris, whose lead over teammate Piastri in the championship standings is now just three points, overtook Charles Leclerc of Ferrari late in the race to secure a podium finish after starting sixth.

Russell faced an investigation after the race for a DRS issue as technical problems appeared on his car in the final laps. However, stewards decided he gained no advantage and took no action.

Leclerc finished fourth after a poor start from second on the grid. Lewis Hamilton, also of Ferrari, had a better race, gaining four positions to finish fifth.

World champion Max Verstappen had a frustrating race with slow pit stops for Red Bull. He managed to pass Pierre Gasly of Alpine on the last lap to finish sixth, limiting Norris`s lead to eight points.

Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda scored his first points for the team in ninth place, finishing between Haas drivers Esteban Ocon (P8) and Oliver Bearman (P10). Bearman made an impressive result, gaining 16 positions.

This win for Bahrain-owned McLaren, along with Norris’s third place, increased their lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ championship to 58 points.

Piastri Secures Bahrain Win for McLaren

The race followed the weekend`s trend, with Piastri smoothly maximizing his McLaren`s performance, while Norris struggled more.

Despite expectations for a Red Bull one-two in qualifying, Norris`s mistake on his final lap placed him sixth on the grid, while Piastri secured pole position.

In the race, Piastri maintained his lead from Russell at the first corner and steadily increased his advantage.

His lead grew to seven seconds after the first pit stops, but a Safety Car on lap 32 for debris caused the leaders to pit again earlier than planned.

This favored McLaren, who had fresh medium tyres, unlike Russell, who had to use fading soft tyres for the final 25 laps.

Piastri managed the restart well and dominated the final stint, becoming the first driver this season with two wins, reinforcing his status as a championship contender.

Piastri commented, `It was an amazing weekend starting from qualifying and getting the win today in style is great.`

`It’s very important for our owners. This track hasn`t been kind to us typically, so it’s great to get our first win here.`

Norris Laments `Messy Race` After Recovery

After his qualifying error, Norris aimed for a McLaren one-two behind Piastri and had a strong start, seemingly gaining three places in the first corners.

However, he received a five-second penalty for starting out of position, served during his first pit stop.

He couldn`t overtake Russell initially, and the penalty removed his chance to undercut the Mercedes.

Norris then lacked pace and was overtaken by Leclerc, and briefly by Hamilton after the Safety Car restart.

Despite regaining position from Hamilton, the battle cost him valuable seconds.

A lock-up delayed his pass on Leclerc, which he completed with five laps left, reviving McLaren`s one-two hopes.

He closed on Russell but was too aggressive on the final lap, losing a potential chance in the DRS zone.

Norris said, `A tough race. Too many mistakes with overtakes, and being out of position at the start.`

`A messy race from my side. Disappointed we couldn’t secure a one-two for McLaren, which would have been great at our home race.`