Oscar Piastri closed in on the world championship lead after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix on Monday, now just three points behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
Norris finished third behind George Russell’s Mercedes as pole-sitter Piastri secured McLaren’s first-ever win in Sakhir on their 21st attempt.
“Oscar was in a league of his own, so congratulations to him and McLaren,” Russell said.
It marked Piastri’s second win of the season and the fourth of his F1 career.
“That’s going to be one hell of a party tonight,” Piastri said. “Mega weekend. Pretty special to do it here in Bahrain. Thanks to everyone who supports us.”
Norris, who started sixth and received a five-second penalty for being out of position on the grid, said: “It was a tough race. I made too many mistakes with overtakes and being out of position. I’m disappointed not to bring home a one-two for McLaren, but there are still positives.”
Piastri dominated the weekend, excelling in practice and qualifying. Despite an eventful race behind him, he crossed the line 15.499s ahead of Russell, who faced investigation over a DRS issue.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth, teammate Lewis Hamilton fifth, followed by Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, earning his team’s first points of the year. The top 10 were rounded out by Esteban Ocon (Haas), Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), and Ocon’s teammate Oliver Bearman.
Midway through the race, Piastri led from Russell, while Leclerc overtook Norris for third. A safety car was deployed to clear debris at turn three, allowing Piastri and his closest competitors to make a ‘free’ pit stop.
The restart brought chaos, with Norris briefly overtaking Hamilton off track before giving the position back. Despite the drama, Piastri maintained his lead to clinch victory.
Next up is the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from April 18 to 20.
