McLaren's rising star Oscar Piastri secured a commanding victory in 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix. The race, held at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Most drivers opted for soft compound tires marked with red, with only Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto choosing differently. As the five red lights went out and the race began, Piastri maintained his lead, while Mercedes driver George Russell surged into second place. McLaren’s Lando Norris overtook Charles Leclerc to claim third.
However, Norris was placed under investigation for a jump start and was handed a five-second time penalty. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton reported over the radio that he was struggling with grip on the medium tires.
By lap 9, a fierce battle unfolded between Hamilton and Carlos Sainz for eighth place, which Hamilton eventually won. As pit stops began around lap 11, Leclerc—who had stayed out on medium tires—briefly took the lead, with teammate Hamilton following closely behind. But after the Ferrari drivers made their stops, Piastri regained the lead, with Russell and Norris right behind him.
Oliver Bearman was noted by the stewards for an unsafe pit release, and Max Verstappen reported issues with his brakes during the race.
At the midpoint, Hamilton overtook Esteban Ocon to climb into sixth, while Leclerc passed Norris to move into podium contention. On lap 30, a slight contact between Yuki Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz led to debris on track, prompting the deployment of the safety car. Most teams seized the opportunity for pit stops.
Once the race resumed, Piastri held onto the lead. Hamilton briefly overtook Norris for fourth but quickly lost the position again. Later, Liam Lawson received a 5-second penalty for causing a collision with Nico Hülkenberg, while Sainz was penalized 10 seconds for forcing Tsunoda off track. The damage to Tsunoda's car forced him to retire.
The battle for the final podium spot between Leclerc and Norris intensified in the final laps, with Norris eventually prevailing. The stewards also reviewed the first-corner incident between Lawson and Hülkenberg, as well as a DRS infringement by George Russell.
After 57 laps of action, Oscar Piastri crossed the line to take a well-earned victory. George Russell followed in second, and Norris secured third, marking a double podium for McLaren and a fantastic start to their 2025 campaign.