F1 Results Today: Max Verstappen crushed by shock rival as Red Bull suffer….read more
The 2025 Formula 1 season got off to a stunning and unexpected start under the lights of Bahrain, as McLaren emerged as the dominant force during the first day of practice. In a surprising turn of events, Red Bull Racing — the reigning champions and usual pacesetters — struggled significantly, leaving many to question whether this could mark a shift in the power dynamic on the grid.
All eyes were on Max Verstappen, the three-time world champion and the man many expected to set the benchmark once again. However, the Dutch driver found himself surprisingly off the pace during the second practice session (FP2), managing only the seventh-fastest time. Verstappen was over eight-tenths of a second slower than the session leader, Oscar Piastri, who lit up the track with a sensational lap of 1:30.505.
McLaren delivered a commanding performance, with both of their drivers at the top of the timesheets. Piastri led the way, closely followed by teammate Lando Norris, who was just 0.154 seconds behind. Their strong form in both pace and consistency has instantly turned heads, as many are now beginning to wonder whether the British team could seriously challenge for the title this season.
Verstappen’s lackluster showing in FP2 was emblematic of a troubling day for Red Bull as a whole. The day began with the team fielding Japanese rookie Ayumu Iwasa in Free Practice 1 (FP1), who struggled to adapt and could only secure 19th place — a result that saw him over two seconds adrift from the fastest lap. Fellow Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda didn’t fare much better. Despite a decent start in FP1, where he managed to place 9th, he dropped all the way down to 18th in FP2, highlighting the team’s serious lack of competitiveness on the opening day.
The story was very different for McLaren and Mercedes. Not only did McLaren lock out the top two positions in FP2, but Mercedes also showed signs of resurgence. George Russell put in a strong lap to finish third, and new Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed fans and analysts alike with a fifth-place finish. Between them was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who claimed fourth with a solid and clean run that bodes well for the Scuderia.
Antonelli’s performance in particular raised eyebrows. The young Italian has been widely touted as a future star, and his top-five result on the first day of the season reinforces that hype. Beating an experienced and dominant driver like Verstappen on your debut day is no small feat, and Antonelli did just that, underlining his potential to shake up the grid.
Adding to Red Bull’s woes, Isack Hadjar — driving for the Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri) — managed to place ahead of Verstappen in FP2. That development adds an extra layer of intrigue, as the performance gap between Red Bull and its sister team seemed nearly nonexistent during the session.
Though it’s only the first day of on-track action and much can change over the weekend, the message from Bahrain is clear: McLaren has made serious progress over the winter, and Red Bull might not have the dominant edge they once enjoyed. With Piastri and Norris looking confident and composed, and rivals like Mercedes and Ferrari showing encouraging signs, the 2025 season could be one of the most competitive in recent memory.
For now, all eyes will be on qualifying and race day to see if McLaren can maintain their momentum — and whether Red Bull can recover from this early shock.
