F1 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix results: Piastri in a league of one

The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix delivered another intense chapter in the early-season Formula 1 battle between McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. While Oscar Piastri dominated from pole to flag, British stars George Russell and Lando battled it out for the remaining podium places under the lights at Sakhir.

Although it wasn’t a Brit stood on the top step of the podium, all four of the British drivers finished in the points and three of them were in the top five. Piastri’s dominant performance, though, had the most significant permutations. He has now surpassed reigning champion Max Verstappen and sits just three points shy of his team-mate at the top of the standings.

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix results

Norris recovers ‘messy’ race

A small error at Turn 1 during his final qualifying effort cost Lando Norris dear, leaving him sixth on the grid, but the McLaren driver wasted no time in getting his recovery drive underway. A blistering launch saw him sweep around the outside of Charles Leclerc into third place.

However, his early momentum was halted by a five-second time penalty for being out of position on the grid. Having served the penalty during his first pit stop on Lap 11, he switched to mediums and rejoined with more ground to make up. The second stint saw Norris fall back behind Leclerc after a bold move from the Ferrari driver into Turn 4.

Following a safety car on Lap 32, Norris pitted again for fresh mediums and restarted in fourth. He locked horns with Lewis Hamilton at the restart, getting the better of the seven-time champion at Turn 4. 

With ten laps to go, Norris reignited his battle with Leclerc, overtaking him with a stunning move around the outside of Turn 4 on Lap 52. He closed the gap to Russell in the final laps but ultimately settled for a well-earned podium in third.

Russell holds on for another podium

George Russell continued his consistent form in 2025 with a strong second place in Bahrain, building on a solid if slightly frustrating Saturday. After being demoted from the front row to third following a Qualifying penalty, Russell made a superb start launching past Leclerc and into second.

Though he attempted an ambitious move around the outside of polesitter Oscar Piastri at Turn 1, Russell wisely fell into line. He pitted on Lap 14 and retained second place throughout the second stint, fending off early pressure from Norris.

After the Lap 32 safety car, Mercedes opted for soft tyres which Russell labelled as an ‘audacious’ strategy. He restarted from second and absorbed pressure from Norris in the closing stages. Despite the McLaren looming large in his mirrors, Russell held firm to secure 18 valuable championship points.

Another challenging weekend for Hamilton 

Having qualified a disappointing ninth, the seven-time world champion held his position off the line and made an early move around the outside of Carlos Sainz to climb into eighth.

Ferrari ran 1-2 early on thanks to their medium tyre strategy, but Hamilton dropped down the order when he made his first stop. On fresh tyres, he surged forward during the second stint, climbing to sixth before stopping again under the Safety Car. The timing of the stop was opportune, and Hamilton rejoined in fifth on hards.

At the restart, he went head-to-head with Norris but had to concede the position. Hamilton held fifth to the flag, banking a solid result as he continues to find his feet with Ferrari.

Bearman bags more points

Oliver Bearman showed maturity beyond his years to grab another valuable point for Haas in 2025. After a difficult qualifying, he started last on the grid, but the Haas rookie made rapid progress on Lap ,1 climbing five spots to 15th.

The timing of the Lap 32 safety car brought Bearman back into the fight. He restarted in 12th on fresh tyres and found himself locked in a battle with Jack Doohan and former F2 team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the closing stages.

Bearman held off Antonelli’s Mercedes to clinch tenth place and his second consecutive points-scoring finish. His ability to withstand pressure is quickly establishing the young Brit as one to watch.

A perfect Piastri performance

Oscar Piastri delivered arguably his best F1 drive to date in a lights-to-flag Bahrain victory. A clean start from pole allowed him to fend off Leclerc into Turn 1, and by the end of Lap 1, he’d already opened an eight-tenth advantage.

The McLaren driver pitted from the lead on Lap 15 and during the Lap 32 Safety Car, maintained his usual composure as the race restarted. He pulled away effortlessly in the final stint, eventually crossing the line with a 14-second buffer, becoming 2025’s only two-time winner and cementing his credentials as a title contender this season.

Verstappen salvages sixth

Max Verstappen had a quiet weekend by his standards, qualifying seventh and losing a place to Sainz at the start. Opting for hard tyres early in the race, Red Bull’s alternate strategy didn’t pay off as hoped.

He switched back to mediums on Lap 27 and was running eighth when the Safety Car was deployed five laps later. With relatively fresh tyres, Verstappen restarted behind Pierre Gasly but struggled to find a way past the Alpine.

After a prolonged stint stuck in seventh, he finally overtook Gasly on the last lap to secure sixth. While not the result Red Bull was hoping for, Verstappen limited the damage and remains firmly in the hunt as the championship heads to Jeddah.

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