Oscar Piastri celebrated a landmark moment in style as the McLaren driver marked his 50th Formula One Grand Prix with a stunning pole position in Bahrain. The Australian continued his red-hot form after topping two of three practice sessions, sealing the front spot with a blistering 1:29.841 lap under the Sakhir floodlights.
It was a session full of surprises, not least the struggles of championship leader and teammate Lando Norris, who could only manage sixth on the grid. Clearly frustrated, Norris described himself as “clueless on track” and admitted, “Just not quick enough, simple as that.”
Despite his disappointment, Norris acknowledged Piastri’s performance, calling it well-deserved. With a win from pole already under his belt in China, Piastri now has the chance to become the season’s first double race winner, and potentially close the 13-point gap to Norris, who holds a slim lead over Max Verstappen.
Shake-ups from the stewards’ room further reshuffled the starting grid. George Russell, who was second fastest, received a one-place grid penalty after Mercedes released both cars too early following a red flag caused by Esteban Ocon’s crash. That gifted Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc a spot on the front row. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s teammate, was similarly penalized, dropping him to fifth behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
At the sharp end of the grid, the surprises kept coming. Max Verstappen, dominant in Bahrain last year, had a torrid session, citing brake issues and a lack of grip, and could only manage seventh. “I have no idea where we’ll be in terms of race pace,” he admitted, hoping for “a bit of excitement” from mid-pack.
The top 10 rounded out with Carlos Sainz in eighth for Williams, Lewis Hamilton a muted ninth for Ferrari, and Yuki Tsunoda in tenth for Red Bull – his first top-ten appearance of the season. Tsunoda, who only joined the team after two races, said: “I’ll still take it,” after a shaky lead-up.
Further back, Australian rookie Jack Doohan impressed with his best qualifying result in 11th for Alpine, ahead of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.
Drama continued even after qualifying ended, as Alex Albon was promoted to 15th when Nico Hülkenberg’s Q2 lap was deleted for track limits violations – an infraction the stewards only confirmed after the German had already progressed at Albon’s expense.
As for the bottom of the grid, Liam Lawson endured another frustrating session, qualifying a distant 17th.
With Piastri surging, Norris searching, and Verstappen starting in the shadows, Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix promises a thrilling mix of redemption, rivalry, and high-stakes racing in the desert.
