F1 Race Event: Bahrain Grand Prix
Race Track: Bahrain International Circuit
Weather: dry 26°C
Tarmac: dry 30°C
Humidity : 53%
Wind : 7.5 km/h
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri scored his 2nd F1 pole position of his career, during the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying session today. The Australian driver will start from P1 for the first time in Bahrain. It was the 167th pole for the McLaren team.
Piastri Powers to Bahrain Pole as Russell and Leclerc Chase
Oscar Piastri has done it again. The Australian sensation delivered a masterclass under the desert lights to snatch pole position for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix – the fourth round of an already spicy season – fending off a flying George Russell and a resurgent Charles Leclerc.
It’s Piastri’s second pole of the year, and if Sunday goes his way, the title fight might just start revolving around papaya.
McLaren Magic – But It’s Not All Rosy
McLaren were the hot favourites going into qualifying, and Piastri backed that up with a sublime final run. Lando Norris, however, had a Saturday to forget. A scruffy Turn 1 and lack of grip in Sector 1 meant he could only manage P6 – a result that left the usually upbeat Brit visibly deflated.
"I'm just not quick enough," Norris muttered in post-session interviews, barely lifting his head. But Zak Brown was quick to defend his driver, praising Oscar’s “mega lap” while insisting Lando still has a race-winning car beneath him.
Russell in the Mix, Leclerc Lurking
George Russell made the most of cooler conditions in Q3, hustling his Mercedes into second place, just a whisker behind Piastri. With the Silver Arrows improving with every round, Russell’s confidence is growing – and Saturday’s effort only cemented his reputation as Mr Saturday.
Charles Leclerc surprised even himself with P3, crediting Ferrari’s latest upgrades: “It’s not a big step yet, but it’s progress,” he said. Teammate Carlos Sainz will start ninth, finally showing signs of life in his new Williams seat.
Antonelli Impresses, Gasly Shines, Max Struggles
One of the standout stories from Saturday? Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes rookie looked every bit the star of the future, landing P4 and outqualifying Lewis Hamilton once again. The 18-year-old continues to settle into F1 like he was born for it.
Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, pulled a rabbit out of the hat with P5 – a massive boost for Alpine, who haven’t scored a single point this season. The Frenchman was beaming after the session, and rightly so.
Max Verstappen? A head-scratcher of a session. The reigning world champion battled brake issues and a lack of confidence in his RB21, eventually qualifying a lowly seventh. “My brakes are just terrible,” he told his race engineer mid-session. Red Bull have work to do overnight.
Red Flags, Rookie Woes & a Wild Grid
The session wasn’t short on drama. Esteban Ocon brought out red flags in Q2 after clouting the barriers near Turn 3, ending his day early. The Haas driver was okay, but the crash ruined a promising run.
Several rookies struggled – Ollie Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto were eliminated in Q1, while Isack Hadjar and Jack Doohan narrowly missed out on Q3 despite showing strong pace all weekend.
Sunday Setup: Expect the Unexpected
With all three tyre compounds likely to play a role and strategy wide open – expect anything from one-stoppers to wild undercuts – Sunday’s race promises fireworks. Cooler conditions and Bahrain’s overtaking opportunities mean Piastri’s job is far from done.
Can Oscar convert pole into his second win of the season? Will Russell finally get Mercedes on the top step? Can Leclerc spoil the party? And can Norris or Verstappen claw their way back into the podium conversation?
One thing’s for sure: if Qualifying was the appetiser, the main course is going to be absolutely delicious.
Qualifying Times 2025 Bahrain GP
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:31.392 | 1:30.454 | 1:29.841 | 15 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.494 | 1:30.664 | 1:30.009 | 20 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.454 | 1:30.724 | 1:30.175 | 16 |
| 4 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:31.415 | 1:30.716 | 1:30.213 | 20 |
| 5 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:31.462 | 1:30.643 | 1:30.216 | 19 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:31.107 | 1:30.560 | 1:30.267 | 18 |
| 7 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:31.303 | 1:31.019 | 1:30.423 | 17 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:31.591 | 1:30.844 | 1:30.680 | 19 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:31.219 | 1:31.009 | 1:30.772 | 18 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 1:31.751 | 1:31.228 | 1:31.303 | 17 |
| 11 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | 1:31.414 | 1:31.245 | 13 | |
| 12 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:31.591 | 1:31.271 | 12 | |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:31.634 | 1:31.886 | 15 | |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:31.594 | DNF | 8 | |
| 15 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:32.040 | no time | 6 | |
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 1:32.067 | 17 | ||
| 17 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:32.165 | 6 | ||
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 1:32.186 | 6 | ||
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:32.283 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:32.373 | 6 |
The pole time of last year's Bahrain GP was a 1:29.179 min set by Max Verstappen in the RB20.
The quickest sector times were:
- Sector 1: 28.771 sec. by George Russell with the Mercedes W16.
- Sector 2: 38.574 sec. by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL38.
- Sector 3: 22.483 sec. by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL38.
✅ Don't forget to check out the 2025 Bahrain F1 Grand Prix preview
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