McLaren's Oscar Piastri Seals Pole in Bahrain
- Damian Hall
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri will start the FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2025 from pole position after clocking a 1:29.841 under the lights at the Sakhir Circuit. The 23-year-old Australian looked assured throughout Q3 and delivered when it counted, holding off late challenges from Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
“I felt confident out there pretty much all weekend,” Piastri said after the session. “The others caught up a little bit closer than what I wanted, but I still delivered the laps when it mattered, which was the most important thing at the end.”
Russell came closest to denying him pole, finishing just 0.168s adrift in a much-improved Mercedes. The Brit was pleasantly surprised by the result.
“If anybody said we’d be within half a second of the McLarens, we’d have taken it,” Russell said. “So to be second on the grid is a bonus. Congrats to Oscar on a great lap.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three and admitted P3 exceeded his expectations, especially after a tricky start to the final session.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect P3,” he said. “At the beginning of Q3 everything felt really bad with the old tyres, but as soon as we put the new tyres on it was quite a bit better. So I’m happy.”
Behind the top three, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed with a composed drive to secure fourth. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly followed in fifth, while Lando Norris placed sixth in the sister McLaren. Max Verstappen could manage only seventh for Red Bull, ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz in eighth.
Sir Lewis Hamilton will start ninth after struggling to extract performance from his Ferrari, and he took full responsibility after the session.
“Our car is a lot better than what I'm delivering with it,” said the seven-time world champion. “Charles did a good job today, so big apologies to the team for not doing the job.”
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten.
Q1 – Bearman Out, Midfielders Miss the Cut
Rookies and midfield runners battled grip and track evolution in Q1. Haas’ Oliver Bearman was the slowest of the session and will start last. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Stake’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, and Stake’s Nico Hülkenberg were also eliminated.
Q1 Eliminations:
P16. Nico Hülkenberg – Stake
P17. Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
P18. Gabriel Bortoleto – Stake
P19. Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
P20. Oliver Bearman – Haas
Q2 – Red Flag for Ocon Crash
The second session was interrupted with 11 minutes remaining when Esteban Ocon lost control exiting Turn 2 and crashed heavily into the barriers. The Frenchman walked away without injury, but the red flag disrupted many drivers' attempts to improve.
Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar missed the cut for Q3, along with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Williams' Alexander Albon. Ocon, who failed to set a time, was also eliminated.
Q2 Eliminations:
P11. Jack Doohan – Alpine
P12. Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls
P13. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
P14. Esteban Ocon – Haas
P15. Alexander Albon – Williams
With McLaren on pole, Mercedes in the mix, and Ferrari back in the fight, the stage is set for an exciting race.
Full qualifying results:
Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 2. George Russell (Mercedes), 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 5. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 6. Lando Norris (McLaren), 7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 8. Carlos Sainz (Williams), 9. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), 11. Jack Doohan (Alpine), 12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), 13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), 14. Esteban Ocon (Haas), 15. Alexander Albon (Williams), 16. Nico Hülkenberg (Stake), 17. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), 18. Gabriel Bortoleto (Stake), 19. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), 20. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
McLaren's Oscar Piastri Seals Pole in Bahrain by Damian Hall
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