Last weekend, Oscar Piastri dominated the Bahrain GP. After securing pole position during the qualifiers, he drove coolly to victory on Sunday, crossing the finish line with a lead of over fifteen seconds. His performance in Bahrain earned him the first hat trick of his career, following in the footsteps of former champion and fellow Aussie, Alan Jones.
For Oscar Piastri, the victory in Bahrain was the fourth of his career, putting him on par with Bruce McLaren. As the 24-year-old Australian also clocked the fastest race lap, he scored his first hat trick in Formula 1. This achievement is awarded to a driver who wins the race from pole position and drives the fastest lap.
No Grand Slam
A hat trick should not be confused with the illustrious Grand Slam – Piastri has not yet achieved this. For a Grand Slam, he would have had to lead the entire race in Bahrain. However, in the opening stages of the race, Charles Leclerc led for three laps. In the long history of Formula 1, only twenty-seven drivers have managed to achieve a Grand Slam. Max Verstappen was the last, during the Bahrain GP in 2024.
Piastri did become the first Australian to score a hat trick since Alan Jones triumphed in Argentina in 1980 – exactly eight hundred Grands Prix ago. More good news for the McLaren driver; Alan Jones also won the world title that year. Ahead of the Saudi Arabia GP, Lando Norris leads the championship, although his lead over teammate Piastri is only three points.
