Verstappen Outpaced as Red Bull Struggles in Friday Practice
Red Bull endured a tough start to the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, with both their rookies and star drivers off the pace during Friday’s free practice sessions. Ayumu Iwasa, filling in for FP1, placed 19th, while Yuki Tsunoda was once again outperformed by the man he recently replaced—Liam Lawson.
Max Verstappen returned for FP2 but could only manage the eighth-fastest time, trailing McLaren’s Isack Hadjar and struggling to find rhythm on track. Tsunoda fared even worse, ending up 18th overall and the lowest-ranked among all Red Bull-affiliated drivers.
McLaren, on the other hand, looked dominant. Oscar Piastri led the charge, setting the fastest time of the day in FP2, followed closely by teammate Lando Norris. The Woking-based team locked out the top two positions, showing early signs of a strong weekend ahead.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton continued to grapple with Ferrari’s inconsistent form, voicing concerns about the car’s handling. Fernando Alonso had a bizarre moment in FP2 when his steering wheel powered down and then detached mid-session, forcing a slow return to the pits. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ teenage talent, suffered a power unit issue early in FP1 and didn’t return to the track afterward.
FP1 saw six rookies on track in place of regular drivers. Of those, Luke Browning impressed most, finishing 13th.
FP2 – Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 Full Results:
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:30.505
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.154s
3. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.527s
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.540s
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.722s
6. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – +0.733s
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.825s
8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +1.071s
9. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – +1.079s
10. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +1.118s
11. Alex Albon (Williams) – +1.191s
12. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +1.201s
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) – +1.267s
14. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – +1.283
15. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +1.320s
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +1.365s
17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +1.442s
18. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +1.519s19.
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +1.877s20.
Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) – +1.991s
FP1 – Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 Full Results:
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:33.204
2. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +0.238
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.596s
4. Alex Albon (Williams) – +0.724s
5. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +0.980s
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) – +1.058s
7. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – +1.192s
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +1.193s
9. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +1.280s
10. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +1.304s
11. Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) – +1.424s
12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – +1.463s
13. Luke Browning (Williams) – +1.681s
14. Dino Beganovic (Ferrari) – +1.851s
15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +1.912s1
6. Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin) – +1.994s
17. Ryo Hirakawa (Haas) – +2.057s18.
Frederik Vesti (Mercedes) – +2.121s19.
Ayumu Iwasa (Red Bull) – +2.271s20.
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +4.847s
With Red Bull struggling to find form and McLaren showing early dominance, the stage is set for an unpredictable qualifying session. FP3 kicks off Saturday, April 12 at 1:30 PM BST, with qualifying to follow at 5 PM BST (7 PM AST).
