Watch Bahrain Grand Prix highlights as Mclaren’s Oscar Piastri won from pole position in a dominant display in the desert.
Bahrain Victory Sees Piastri Close The Gap
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri produced a perfect race to win the Bahrain Grand Prix and narrow the gap to team-mate Lando Norris in the Drivers World Championship.
The Aussie led from the start and never looked in danger despite the best efforts of Mercedes’ George Russell, who came home second ahead of Norris in the other McLaren.
Norris fought his way to a podium after starting sixth on the grid, and had to contend with an early five-second penalty for a false start.
He came close to overtaking Russell in the final laps, but couldn’t find a way past his countryman for a McLaren one-two.
Charles Leclerc came home fourth for Ferrari, having been passed by Norris with eight laps remaining.
The other Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton finished fifth after a fairly quiet race, with reigning World Champion Max Verstappen sixth after struggling all weekend.
Verstappen only overtook the Alpine of Pierre Gasly on the final lap, with the French driver doing brilliantly to score Alpine’s first points of the season.
Watch: Bahrain Grand Prix Highlights
Piastri’s second win of the season moves him to within three points of Norris at the top of the standings.
Verstappen remains only eight points behind in third, despite his difficult weekend.
From the moment the lights went out, there never looked to be any other winner but Piastri, though.
A safety car closed the field back up on lap 32 as officials cleared debris from the circuit, but there was never any threat to the lead.
Instead, the action was busier in the battle for second, with Norris eventually passing Leclerc into turn four with eight laps to go.
The Ferrari of Leclerc had run long on his first stint, giving him a tyre advantage to pass Norris before the safety car period.
But with Leclerc dispatched, the championship leader set off in pursuit of Russell.
Norris could not close the gap quickly enough, and was unable to make a move stick as Russell held on for a superb second-placed finish.
After the race, Norris told Sky F1: “A tough race. I made too many mistakes. A messy race from me. Disappointed not to bring home a one-two for McLaren.”
Elsewhere, Esteban Ocon drove brilliantly to finish eighth in the Haas after a huge crash in qualifying, with team-mate Oliver Bearman coming home 10th having started last on the grid.
Bahrain Grand Prix Results In Full
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) | 1:35:39.435
- George Russell (Mercedes) | +15.499
- Lando Norris (McLaren) | +16.273
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) | +19.679
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) | +27.993
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) | +34.395
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) | +36.002
- Estaban Ocon (Haas) | +44.244
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) | +45.061
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) | +47.594
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) | +48.016
- Alex Albon (Williams) | +48.839
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) | +53.472
- Isack Hadjar (RB) | +56.314
- Jack Doohan (Alpine) | +57.806
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) | +1:00.340
- Liam Lawson (RB) | +1:04.435
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) | + 1:05.489
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) | +1:06.872
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) | DNF (45)
