Piastri and McLaren Dominate: Recapping the Bahrain Grand Prix

(Photo Courtesy ESPN)

The Formula One championship battle just got a whole lot more interesting, with Oscar Piastri (McLaren) winning by over 15 seconds. While his teammate Lando Norris still holds the top spot in the standings, Piastri convinced fans that he can potentially run away with the title.

Behind Piastri was a handful of penalties and overtakes. George Russell (Mercedes) and Norris were battling for P2 in the final stages, after Norris received a penalty for starting the race outside of the box. Norris had a very sloppy race, having the pace to keep up, but making small mistakes here and there (much like DeChambeu at the Masters). Pierre Gasly of Alpine had a phenomenal race, qualifying P5 and finishing P7. For one of the worst cars on the grid, that’s an A-plus result.

It was also arguably the best weekend for Ferrari. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished P4 and P5, respectively. They made little mistakes, managed their tires well, and were fighting with the McLarens and Mercedes early in the race. This is a massive step forward for the Scuderia, and especially Hamilton.

The kings of the midfield had a rough day on track. Williams failed to score points with Alex Albon finishing P13 and Carlos Sainz not finishing the race. Albon was especially frustrated because of him recovering a penalty for going past track limits, but wasn’t given the penalty until the end of the race, when he potentially broke the limits in the beginning of the race. Now with the great performance of Alpine, Williams may have some competition in the midfield.

The Formula One calendar goes to Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. A street track with long straights and tight corners. This race has been plenty exciting in the past, and with a potential battle between Norris and Piastri, this weekend could potentially change the course of the 2025 season.

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