2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Recap

By Ryan Wu

After a disappointing qualifying session, Lando Norris made a series of bold overtakes and climbed into third place within just a few corners. However, the team had to hold their breath as he came under investigation for a potential false start. Upon review, his front tires were clearly positioned ahead of the designated starting box. As a result, the stewards handed him a five-second time penalty, which he served during a pit stop since the infraction occurred before the final five laps of the race.

On lap 25, Charles Leclerc pulled off an impressive move to pass Norris and reclaim a spot on the podium. Later in the race, a safety car was deployed in the final third after Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda made contact, scattering debris on the track. This allowed both Ferrari drivers to pit for hard tires.

Then, on lap 37, Norris overtook Lewis Hamilton by going off track and was subsequently instructed to return the position. Norris was unable to get past Charles Leclerc for the remainder of the race and with an Oscar Piastri win, he closed the Championship gap to three points after four races. McLaren as a team has now pulled 58 points ahead of Mercedes in the constructors’ standings.

Strategy Proved Paramount

Drivers who started on the medium compound struggled early on, with Lewis Hamilton reporting poor grip just a few laps into the race. Most of the grid opted for the soft tires, as a two-stop strategy is typically required at the Bahrain International Circuit. The pit window for softs opened around laps 10 to 12, while those on mediums were able to extend their stints by an additional 8 to 10 laps. By lap 13, Charles Leclerc—still on his original medium tires—was posting faster lap times than race leader Oscar Piastri, who had yet to pit for fresh rubber. Max Verstappen was one of the few drivers to switch to the hard compound during his first stop. The variation in strategies led to significant reshuffling throughout the field and added plenty of drama as positions changed up and down the order.

Rebounding Weekend for Hamilton

Hamilton did not have a good qualifying and admitted himself he needed to perform better, in which he did not place any responsibility on the car saying how it clearly has pace due to the results his teammate has put in. However, he showed better race pace and with some clever strategy from Ferrari he finished the race in 5th place, his best result with Ferrari this year.

Rookie Report

Oliver Bearman had a cracking start and made up 5 places within the first lap after starting 20th, Bearman continued his strong race and was eventually in the points.

Kimi Antonelli had a disappointing weekend after a great showing during a qualifying, He started 4th on the grid but ended up finishing 11th and outside of the points for the first time in his young career.

Tough Weekend for Williams

After scoring points in the first three races of the season, Alex Albon failed to advance past Q1 in qualifying and ultimately finished outside the points. Carlos Sainz also endured a tough race, receiving a 10-second time penalty and had to retire the car due to sustaining damage after colliding with Yuki Tsunoda.

Racing Refresh Driver of the Day

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Final Points Finishing Positions

1st: Oscar Piastri

2nd: George Russell

3rd: Lando Norris

4th: Charles Leclerc

5th: Lewis Hamilton

6th: Max Verstappen

7th: Pierre Gasly

8th: Esteban Ocon

9th: Yuki Tsunoda

10th: Oliver Bearman

Next on the F1 Schedule:

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: April 18th-20th