Oscar Piastri Leads McLaren’s Charge to Pole at Bahrain Grand Prix 2025
Oscar Piastri clinched a stunning pole position for the F1 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, edging out Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in a tightly contested Q3 finale. With a blistering lap of 1m 29.841s, Piastri delivered when it mattered most to claim his maiden pole of the season. McLaren’s early pace dominance continued from practice into qualifying, with Piastri showing flawless execution in the final session.
Teammate Lando Norris, however, failed to capitalise on the team’s momentum, struggling during his final run and settling for sixth place behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. Championship leader Max Verstappen battled brake issues throughout the session and managed only seventh.
Mercedes and Ferrari Apply Pressure
Russell delivered a near-perfect lap to challenge for pole but was ultimately outpaced by two-tenths, while Leclerc slotted into third. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed once again by qualifying fourth, though both Silver Arrows drivers are under investigation for a potential pit lane infringement.
Carlos Sainz secured eighth in one of his strongest showings of the season, with Lewis Hamilton taking ninth after a lap deletion for track limits. Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10 in his first Q3 appearance for Red Bull.
F1 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying Results:
Q3
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:29.841
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:30.009
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:30.175
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:30.213
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1:30.216
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:30.267
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:30.423
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 1:30.680
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:30.772
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 1:31.303
Q2
- Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 1:31.245
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 1:31.271
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1:31.886
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) – DNF
- Alex Albon (Williams) – 1:32.040
Q1
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 1:32.067
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 1:32.165
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 1:32.186
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 1:32.283
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:32.373
* Nico Hulkenberg’s lap time deletion sent him behind Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon
Qualifying At Bahrain International Circuit: As It Happened
Q1: McLaren Dominate, Red Bull Struggles
Norris topped the Q1 timesheets with a commanding lap, followed closely by Piastri. Verstappen’s qualifying began on shaky ground with complaints of something “really wrong with the car.” He managed to pull out a third-fastest time, but the signs of discomfort were clear.
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson suffered DRS problems, while Haas’s Ollie Bearman placed last after a messy final effort. Albon, Bortoleto, Stroll, and Lawson were also eliminated early, despite Hulkenberg’s late deletion promoting him to Q2.
Q2: Crash for Ocon, Surging Gasly
Drama unfolded early in Q2 as Esteban Ocon crashed out at Turn 2, triggering red flags. Upon resumption, McLaren maintained their grip on the session. Gasly put in a stellar final lap to go third, with Russell, Antonelli, and Leclerc all making strong late-session moves.
Jack Doohan narrowly missed Q3 qualification, joined by Hadjar, Alonso, the retired Ocon, and Hulkenberg in the drop zone.
Q3: Piastri Delivers Under Pressure
In the final battle, Antonelli, Russell, and Leclerc each took brief turns at the top before Piastri’s final lap secured him pole. Verstappen’s frustrations continued, finishing seventh behind Lando Norris after another compromised run, as the reigning champion looks to recover in Sunday’s race.
What’s Ahead?
The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix will take place on Sunday at 18:00 local time, where Oscar Piastri will aim to convert his pole into a first win of the season, while Verstappen, Norris, and Leclerc seek redemption in the desert showdown.
