The Bahrain Grand Prix delivered yet another thrilling race, positioning McLaren`s Oscar Piastri as a strong contender for this year`s championship.
Piastri has effectively recovered from the points lost due to his Melbourne race incident, where he struggled to get his car out of the wet grass. He continues to demonstrate remarkable speed coupled with unwavering composure.
His demeanor suggests a constant state of calm, a trait reminiscent of racing legends like Alain Prost, “the professor,” known for exceptional emotional and mental control.
Bahrain, home to the track and a significant portion of the McLaren team, finally celebrated a home victory after 21 years. Once considered a less exciting racing venue, Bahrain`s transformation into a night race in 2014, coinciding with the arrival of hybrid cars, has dramatically enhanced its appeal.
Remarkably, the track surface, unchanged since 2004, retains bumps and character, unlike many tracks smoothed into billiard-table surfaces. This challenging asphalt, designed to withstand extreme heat and sandstorms, also puts considerable stress on tires, adding an element of unpredictability.
This resulted in all three tire compounds being strategically utilized, with diverse approaches to their deployment. The complexity was amplified by a safety car on lap 32, necessitated by debris from Carlos Sainz`s damaged Williams.
The race director`s decision was justified, as the debris was dangerously close to the racing line and inaccessible for marshals under a virtual safety car. Deploying a full safety car to manage the field was the safer course of action.
Norris`s Potential Second Place
Lando Norris, starting from a challenging sixth position after qualifying, made an outstanding start, surging to third within the first four corners. However, in his attempt to maximize his starting grid position, he slightly overshot his grid box, incurring a five-second penalty served during his first pit stop.
From the commentary box, it`s sometimes apparent when drivers miss optimal grid box positioning, a detail difficult to perceive from the cockpit, hence the prominent yellow line to aid drivers` side view.
Norris was boxed in during the safety car restart at turn one between the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, losing crucial ground. Despite battling Ferraris throughout his race, McLaren`s superior pace suggested he should have secured second place.
However, George Russell, despite grappling with braking and electrical issues in his Mercedes, delivered an exceptional drive to maintain his position. His strong start and resilient performance were undoubtedly among his finest in F1, arriving at a crucial time as he seeks a new contract with the team beyond 2026, especially amidst rumors of Max Verstappen`s potential availability.
Piastri`s dominance at the front, with Russell and Norris completing the podium, relegated Ferrari to fourth and fifth. Both Ferrari drivers expressed satisfaction with an updated underfloor, which remained on their cars for the race. Yet, despite the safety car bunching up the field, Charles Leclerc finished 20 seconds behind the winner, and Lewis Hamilton trailed by 28 seconds.
It should be noted that by extending their first pit stops to lap 17, the Ferraris demonstrated impressive pace in the subsequent phase before the safety car intervention. Nevertheless, Ferrari faces a significant task to bridge the gap to the front, requiring a strategic plan amidst tight cost caps, a packed race calendar, and the looming major 2026 regulation changes. Finding substantial performance gains quickly is increasingly challenging.
Red Bull`s Need for Serious Discussions
Even Max Verstappen`s exceptional skills couldn`t rescue Red Bull from a difficult weekend. The car appeared challenging to handle, with Verstappen visibly struggling to brake and turn in key braking zones throughout the sessions. After trailing Pierre Gasly`s Alpine for numerous laps, he managed to overtake on the final lap, securing a distant sixth place, further hampered by slow pit stops due to equipment problems.
Yuki Tsunoda secured his first points for Red Bull with a ninth-place finish. Considering the team`s victory at the Japanese GP just a week prior, the Bahrain performance is perplexing, likely even for the team itself, necessitating serious internal discussions.
Gasly, starting fourth, finished seventh for Alpine, a result that doesn`t fully reflect his outstanding qualifying and race performance, earning Alpine their first points of the season.
Expectations were high for Williams, and initially, they seemed promising, particularly with Sainz starting within the top 10. However, he lost several positions before a significant collision with Tsunoda and an incident forcing Kimi Antonelli off-track during the safety car restart. This resulted in a penalty and eventual retirement.
Alex Albon finished 12th for Williams, while Haas capitalized on opportunities, with Esteban Ocon securing a commendable eighth place and Ollie Bearman impressively climbing from the back to tenth. Tire strategy seemed less critical than tire freshness, as evidenced by Ocon`s soft-medium-hard strategy and Bearman`s soft-hard-soft approach.
The Haas team now surprisingly sits fifth in the Constructors` Championship, ahead of teams like Aston Martin, who continue to struggle, with Fernando Alonso yet to score. A tough start for Aston Martin.
The race was punctuated by numerous incidents and penalties, keeping the stewards busy. Their final decision was to disqualify Nico Hulkenberg`s Sauber for excessive skid plate wear, violating regulations.
With little respite, the F1 circus now heads to the high-speed Jeddah circuit in just a few days.
