Second Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Bahrain F1 GP

F1 Race Event: Bahrain Grand Prix
Race Track: Bahrain International Circuit

Weather: dry  29°C
Tarmac: dry  33°C
Humidity : 49.0%
Wind : 3.63 km/h

Piastri Strikes Back as McLaren Dominate FP2 in Bahrain

McLaren fans, rejoice! After a blistering start by Lando Norris in FP1, Oscar Piastri made it a Woking 1-2 sweep under the Bahrain floodlights, sending a clear message to the paddock: the papaya brigade means business in Round 4 of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

McLaren Light Up the Desert

While many expected Red Bull or Mercedes to bounce back in more representative conditions, it was McLaren who turned the Bahrain International Circuit into their personal playground. Oscar Piastri found his groove early and stormed to the top of the timesheets, clocking a time that put him 0.154s clear of his team mate Norris.

Behind them? Well, nobody within half a second. Yes, you read that right. George Russell in the Mercedes and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari were P3 and P4, but both over half a second off the Aussie’s pace. Andrea Stella's smile must’ve been visible from space.

Verstappen Venting, Red Bull Reeling

Max Verstappen finally hit the track after sitting out FP1 for rookie duties, but it wasn’t the dominant return fans are used to. The Dutchman, who described his car's ride as "very bad," ended up 0.825s off Piastri's benchmark. To make matters worse, his brakes weren’t playing nice either, especially into the final corner—an area many drivers struggled with throughout the evening.

While Red Bull do have a knack for turning things around between Friday and Saturday, this was far from the usual fine-tuning. A late-session wheel-to-wheel skirmish with Russell even saw Max being waved at by the Brit after a cheeky overtake.

Aston Martin MIA and a Rookie Resurgence

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin looked like they brought a butter knife to a gunfight. Alonso only managed P15 after bolting on the softs late in the session, and his teammate Tsunoda languished in P18, over seven tenths adrift.

But the rookies? They were on fire. Isack Hadjar impressed again, landing P6 and outpacing Verstappen and Hamilton. Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman, stepping into the Haas after sitting out FP1, nailed P9—proving that new floor upgrade might just be doing its job. Liam Lawson, on the other hand, was half a second off Hadjar’s pace in P12 and likely heading for a long night of data crunching.

Williams Hold Steady, Ferrari Play the Gamble

Williams continued their quietly solid form. Carlos Sainz slotted into P10, while Alex Albon, despite a few off-track moments, managed P11 and looked confident during longer runs.

As for Ferrari, they took a bold step with Leclerc, throwing on a second set of softs in the name of data. It paid off with a decent lap, but could cost them tyre options come FP3. A gamble that might pay dividends—or backfire—in Saturday’s daylight conditions.

Tyre Talk and Strategy Simulations

This was the only session in representative race conditions, and the teams took full advantage. Long runs on all three compounds—C1, C2, and C3—suggest strategy will be spicy come Sunday. Verstappen put 17 laps on his softs, hinting they might just survive a stint, while Piastri and Albon each completed 26 laps, almost half race distance.

Expect a late-night scramble in the strategy rooms, with whispers of a medium-medium-hard race plan circulating around the paddock.

One More Practice Before the Show

FP3 kicks off tomorrow at 15:30 local time, but with it being run in far hotter, less representative conditions, don’t expect the full picture. All eyes will be on Qualifying at 19:00 local time—especially if we’re about to see a true shootout between Norris and Piastri for Bahrain pole.

For now, it’s advantage McLaren. The others? They're playing catch-up.
The quickest lap time of last year's first practice was a 1:30,374 min driven by Lewis Hamilton on a set of soft tyres underneath the W15.

FP2 Times Table 2025 Bahrain GP

The quickest sector times during this second practice for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix were:

• Sector 1: 28.755 sec. by George Russell with the Mercedes W16 #63
• Sector 2: 38.894 sec. by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL39 #81.
• Sector 3: 22.634 sec. by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL39 #81.

✅ Don't forget to check out the 2025 Bahrain F1 Grand Prix preview

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