Oscar Piastri clinched a convincing victory in Bahrain on Sunday evening, marking his second win of the season after China. The Australian McLaren driver, starting from pole position, faced no serious challenges throughout the race. Mercedes driver George Russell finished more than fifteen seconds behind in second place, closely followed by Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris. Max Verstappen had a challenging race in his RB21, finishing in sixth place.
Here’s a bird’s-eye view of the Bahrain GP:
ROUND 1/57: With a temperature of ‘only’ 27 degrees, Oscar Piastri has a flawless start from pole. The same goes for his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who immediately gains three places from P6 and settles in behind George Russell. Max Verstappen loses one position and is in eighth place after the first lap.
ROUND 5/57: Max Verstappen overtakes Williams driver Carlos Sainz and moves up to P7, still behind Antonelloi. Footage shows that Norris (in P3) was parked ahead of his grid slot at the start. A time penalty is imminent. Meanwhile, Piastri leads comfortably with a lead of over two seconds on Russell.
ROUND 8/57: Norris receives a five-second time penalty for his false start, to be served at his first pit stop. Hamilton and Sainz are locked in a breathtaking battle for P8, with Hamilton temporarily in the lead.
ROUND 11/57: Norris comes in for his first pit stop and takes the extra five seconds. The same applies to Verstappen, who has a poor stop of 4.7 seconds because the light stays red for him. Norris returns to the track in P13, Verstappen – on hard tyres – in seventeenth.
Alternative Strategy
ROUND 17/57: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lead the race for Ferrari, thanks to an alternative strategy (started on mediums). Behind them are Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Lando Norris who have already stopped. Verstappen is in P8, somewhat stuck behind Haas’s Esteban Ocon.
ROUND 20/57: Antonelli overtakes Max Verstappen in P7, who complains about insufficient grip and non-functioning brakes. Meanwhile, Jack Doohan of Alpine is also pressing from behind. The top eight now are: Piastri, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon, Antonelli, and Verstappen.
Lap 25/57: Intense On-Track Battles
The Ferrari’s are performing well on the medium tires. Charles Leclerc overtakes Norris on the outside, securing P3, behind leader Piastri and Russell. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is currently in P7.
Lap 27/57: Another Failed Pitstop for Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen experiences another failed pitstop, lasting 6.2 seconds! He opts for medium tires and re-enters the track in the last position, behind Gabriel Bortoleto’s Stake car.
Safety Car Deployed Due to Debris
Lap 32/57: Safety Car Deployment
The safety car is deployed due to debris on the track following a collision between Tsunoda and Sainz. The race leaders all pit for a free pitstop, while Verstappen, who just pitted, stays out. The top eight are: Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Norris, Hamilton, Gasly, Ocon, Verstappen.
Lap 37/57: Race Resumes
Upon the race’s resumption, Piastri gets off to a good start. His teammate Lando Norris is engaged in a battle with the Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton. Norris manages to keep Hamilton behind him, but goes off the track and later gives his position back to the seven-time world champion. Verstappen is in P7.
Lap 47/57: Ten Laps to Finish
With ten laps to go, Piastri still leads with a comfortable margin over Russell. Verstappen remains in P7, behind Pierre Gasly‘s Alpine, which the four-time world champion is unable to overtake.
Norris Advances to P3
Lap 52/57: Lando Norris’ Difficult Race
Lando Norris is having a challenging race, but he performs well: the Brit overtakes Leclerc on the outside and advances to P3. Meanwhile, Leclerc and Russell are experiencing issues with their DRS system.
Lap 57/57: Oscar Piastri’s Fourth Career Win
Oscar Piastri secures his fourth career win in Bahrain, followed by George Russell and championship leader Lando Norris. Max Verstappen finishes disappointingly in sixth place. He does manage to overtake Pierre Gasly in the final lap, but that’s as far as the Dutchman can go. It’s a painful moment as the Formula 1 director misses Piastri’s finish.
Top-10: Piastri, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly, Ocon, Tsunoda, Bearman.
