Oscar Piastri Secures Bahrain Grand Prix Pole as Teammate Norris and Verstappen Face Challenges
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri dazzled under the floodlights of the Bahrain Grand Prix, clinching pole position on Saturday while his teammate Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen struggled to find their rhythm at the desert circuit.
Norris, the championship leader, managed only a spot on the third row, while Verstappen will start from the fourth row, complicating his pursuit of a third consecutive victory in Sakhir. Both faced setbacks when George Russell, who initially qualified second, and Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes received one-place grid penalties for entering the pit lane prematurely after a red flag during qualifying. Consequently, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc moved into the front row, taking advantage of the situation.
Ferrari’s upgrades this weekend paid off, with Leclerc enjoying a strong performance. Meanwhile, Alpine, still searching for their first points of the season, saw Pierre Gasly qualify fifth and move to the second row following Antonelli’s demotion.
Piastri’s impressive form throughout the weekend, including dominating practice sessions, culminated in a swift qualifying lap of 1:29.841, a tenth of a second faster than Russell. “I felt confident out there all weekend,” Piastri said. “I delivered the laps when it mattered, so I’m very happy.”
As the third-place driver in the championship standings, Piastri trails Norris by just 13 points, making his pole position even more significant. This marks only his second career pole, with his first coming in China last month, where he also emerged victorious.
Norris, on the other hand, appeared frustrated, admitting, “I’m just not quick enough.” Verstappen echoed similar sentiments, noting early issues with his car that hindered his performance. “There’s something really wrong with the car,” he reported after struggling to find his pace in Q1.
The qualifying session was marked by drama, including a significant crash by Esteban Ocon, which triggered a red flag and forced his Haas team to work overnight to prepare the car for the race. Piastri and Norris advanced through the qualifying rounds, with Verstappen scraping through to Q3 in ninth place.
