Bahrain GP Qualifying: Piastri Shines as Norris and… Read more
Oscar Piastri delivered an outstanding performance to take pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, narrowly edging out a strong challenge from Mercedes. The McLaren driver showcased his composure under pressure, clocking a lap that secured his first pole of the season, with George Russell joining him on the front row. Meanwhile, it was a surprising disappointment for both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, who qualified only sixth and seventh, respectively—far from expectations for the title contenders.
McLaren had shown promising form throughout practice, but Norris was quick to downplay their dominance. As qualifying began, Fernando Alonso set the early pace with a 1:32.3, while Haas’ Esteban Ocon was delayed from participating due to an issue requiring attention inside his cockpit.
Verstappen encountered early trouble with a major lock-up at the final corner, forcing him to abandon his first run and return to the garage. The reigning champion voiced his concerns over team radio, indicating something was seriously wrong with the car. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda completed a lap, only to have it deleted for exceeding track limits.
As the frontrunners joined the session, Norris briefly took control with a 1:31.107, ahead of Piastri. Jack Doohan made a notable appearance by going P3 for Alpine, while several drivers, including Verstappen, faced potential elimination. Verstappen had to use a second set of soft tyres to escape Q1, successfully posting a time that got him into the top three. However, it came at the cost of fewer fresh tyres for the final session. Q1 eliminations included Oliver Bearman, Lance Stroll, Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson, and Alex Albon.
Q2 started dramatically with a red flag, caused by Ocon crashing heavily at Turn 3 after losing control out of Turn 2. Fortunately, he was uninjured. Once the session resumed, Piastri again impressed by topping the timesheets, narrowly ahead of Norris, while Charles Leclerc slotted into third, albeit over half a second down.
Mercedes drivers Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli came under investigation for exiting the garage before the official restart time. As Q2 ended, Pierre Gasly managed to cut McLaren’s lead to less than two-tenths, showcasing Alpine’s improved pace. Verstappen and Tsunoda just scraped through into Q3, while Ocon, Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, Isack Hadjar, and Doohan were eliminated.
Ultimately, Piastri emerged as the surprise pole-sitter, capitalizing on McLaren’s strong package and his own rising confidence. With Norris and Verstappen out of position for the race start, Bahrain promises to deliver a thrilling and unpredictable Grand Prix.
