Oscar Piastri delivered an outstanding performance to take pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, putting McLaren at the front of the grid after a dominant qualifying session. While McLaren had been expected to shine at the Sakhir Circuit, the field was closer than practice sessions had suggested. Piastri’s teammate and current championship leader, Lando Norris, could only manage sixth place, adding complexity to the team’s race strategy.
George Russell qualified second in a strong showing for Mercedes, with Charles Leclerc in third for Ferrari. Mercedes’ impressive display continued with rookie Kimi Antonelli taking fourth, though both Russell and Antonelli were handed one-place grid penalties after their team released them too early following a red flag. Despite the setback, both drivers showed strong pace and promise.
Piastri had topped every practice session leading into qualifying, and while Russell came close just a tenth and a half behind the Australian had the edge when it counted. McLaren’s car, the MCL39, has shown strength in the high-degradation, low-grip conditions of Bahrain, giving the team hope of securing its first win at this venue.
Max Verstappen, who won the previous round in Japan, struggled in Bahrain. Red Bull made changes to the setup ahead of qualifying, which backfired, leaving Verstappen frustrated with poor balance and understeer. He also complained about braking issues, calling the car “terrible” over the team radio. The result was a disappointing seventh-place qualifying, giving him a difficult task on race day.
McLaren’s qualifying pace was not without challenge. While the car can be tricky on a low-fuel lap due to instability in the rear, it excels in managing tyres over race distance. This suggests a strong performance could be on the cards for Piastri if he gets a clean start.
Norris, meanwhile, was visibly disappointed after losing time in the first sector of his final flying lap. Having spoken recently about discomfort with certain phases of the car’s behaviour, the Briton couldn’t match his teammate and now faces an uphill battle. His goal will be to climb through the field and at least salvage a podium finish to defend his slender championship lead.
With Verstappen just one point behind Norris in the standings and Piastri 13 points off the top, the title race is still tight. However, Bahrain’s harsh conditions and high tyre wear could widen the gap between teams, particularly with Red Bull struggling in similar environments earlier this season in Australia and Japan.
The final runs in Q3 were decisive. Russell briefly held provisional pole after a stellar lap, but Piastri responded in commanding fashion, setting a 1:29.841 to seal P1. Pierre Gasly impressed with fifth for Alpine, while Carlos Sainz took eighth for Williams, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in ninth for Ferrari and Yuki Tsunoda in tenth for Red Bull.
Just outside the top ten, Jack Doohan secured 11th for Alpine, followed by Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls and Nico Hülkenberg for Haas. Fernando Alonso placed 14th for Aston Martin, while Esteban Ocon, who crashed in Q2, ended up 15th but was unharmed.
Further down the grid, Alex Albon qualified 16th for Williams, Liam Lawson 17th for Racing Bulls, Gabriel Bortoleto 18th for Sauber, Lance Stroll 19th for Aston Martin, and Oliver Bearman 20th for Haas.
With the grid set and the conditions sure to test tyre management and race strategy, all eyes will be on Piastri to see if he can convert his pole into victory and whether Norris or Verstappen can respond.
