2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: A Detailed Race Weekend Report

Pre-Season Context

Bahrain 2025 was the fourth round of the season, and expectations were already high. The biggest off-season news was Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster move from Mercedes to Ferrari, joining Charles Leclerc at Maranello. Mercedes retained George Russell and signed rookie Kimi Antonelli for his debut, while McLaren kept the same lineup of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Red Bull shuffled seats – Yuki Tsunoda returned to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen, pushing Daniel Ricciardo to Toro Rosso (rebranded as Racing Bulls, with rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar). Alpine fielded Pierre Gasly and new signee Jack Doohan under fresh team boss Oliver Oakes, and Aston Martin ran Fernando Alonso with Lance Stroll. Sauber became “Kick Sauber” and hired experienced Nico Hülkenberg alongside 2024 F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto. These new pairings and the arrival of Audi influence at Sauber promised a season of surprises.

The 2025 rules largely carried over from last year, but teams arrived with new upgrades. Ferrari notably brought a major floor upgrade to Bahrain. Ferrari’s deputy team principal Jerome d’Ambrosio explained that the package “features updated front floor/fences… re-optimised tunnels and floor edge loading” in order to redistribute downforce along the car. “More than a characteristic change, it’s just adding a bit of performance… just hopefully adding that bit of performance” he said, cautioning it wouldn’t revolutionise things. Mercedes and others also had small tweaks; for example, reports mentioned Mercedes focusing on thermal efficiency and engine cover cooling for the hot Bahrain night race.

Pre-season testing in Bahrain gave clues to who would be strong. McLaren – last year’s champions – looked quick and reliable. They ran 381 laps, and Piastri set the second-fastest test lap overall (1:29.940). Formula 1 analysts noted that “insiders felt they will pick up where they left off” in Abu Dhabi 2024. Ferrari also showed promise. Hamilton said he was “really enjoying the car”, and on the final day he was second-fastest in 1:29.379, just behind Williams-bound Carlos Sainz. Mercedes led in mileage, chalking up a staggering 458 laps (over 3,000 km) while working on reducing last year’s handling quirks. Russell posted a 1:29.545 (second-fastest) and praised “good steps” in improving the W16. Red Bull, by contrast, completed only 304 laps and focused on fixing “vices” in their car. Their best test time was only 1:29.566 (Verstappen), and team boss Christian Horner said they still needed to solve braking and balance issues. Among the midfielders, Williams impressed with Sainz topping one session in 1:29.348, Alpine logged a solid 405 laps with Gasly best at 1:30.040, and even Ferrari’s sister Sauber team felt “decent, consistent” performance from their new C45 chassis. This made Bahrain’s midfield battle look very tight.

Against this backdrop, Bahrain loomed as a critical test. The high-speed circuit (5.412 km, 15 turns) is hard on tyres and straight-line speed. It was a night race, but track temperatures stayed warm (around 29°C). The new cars and upgrades would be under pressure to perform. As an aspiring F1 journalist, I watched the paddock eagerly: could McLaren confirm their pace? Would Ferrari’s new floor help Hamilton and Leclerc challenge at the front? The weekend’s first clues would come in practice.

Free Practice 1 (Friday)

Friday’s first session (late afternoon Bahrain time) set the tone. The track was hot and slick, with a 29°C air temperature and even higher track temperature. McLaren quietly led the way: Lando Norris clocked the fastest lap in FP1, a 1:33.204 on soft tyres. He just beat Alpine’s Pierre Gasly (1:33.442) and the early pacesetter Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari, 1:33.800). It was an encouraging start for McLaren and Alpine. Behind them, Alex Albon’s Williams was fourth (1:33.928) and Esteban Ocon (Haas) fifth (1:34.184). Rookie drivers made a big impact: F2 talents Ollie Bearman (Haas) and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) got valuable track time. Six rookies took part (António Giovinazzi stood in?), showcasing the new faces of F1. Notably, Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) ran P9 in 1:34.484 and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was tenth with 1:34.508. Ferrari drivers did modestly: Leclerc was P14 (1:35.055) and Hamilton P3 as noted above. One odd moment: Nico Hülkenberg stopped at turn 8, triggering a brief Virtual Safety Car (VSC). He may have locked up and lost power, but he cleared the car quickly and the session resumed. Overall, the session hinted that McLaren and Alpine were strong in the heat, while veteran drivers like Gasly and Hamilton could keep up.

Free Practice 2 (Friday Evening)

FP2 ran after sunset, which brings cooler air (22°C, track ~37°C). This time McLaren’s other driver, Oscar Piastri, topped the times in 1:30.505 – a sign that the team’s race pace was very quick. Lando Norris was just 0.154s behind in P2, and Mercedes’ Russell third (+0.527). Ferrari’s Leclerc was P4 (+0.540) and rookie Antonelli P5 (+0.722). Red Bull’s Max Verstappen struggled: a gearbox vibration forced him to park at the pits early, and in qualifying simulations he ended P16 (as low as 1:31.806). Alpine looked strong again: Gasly was P6, and rookie Jack Doohan (Alpine) P7 despite a spin. A big shock was Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) stopping with a steering wheel problem. Both Ferraris and McLarens ran trouble-free. Tsunoda reached P9. Team radio had occasional drama: Verstappen complained of the car “jumping” and having “very bad ride” through Turn 10, but no other issues were reported for him before FP2 ended. This session confirmed that McLaren and Mercedes were quickest, with Ferrari lurking close. I noted Piastri’s smooth lines – if the MCL39 stayed reliable, he looked poised for pole.

Free Practice 3 (Saturday Morning)

FP3, on Saturday morning, is usually the last chance for teams to finalise qualifying and race setups. Piastri again showed the way: he set the fastest lap (1:31.646 on softs). Norris was P2, +0.668 slower, with Leclerc third (+0.834). Russell (Mercedes) was fourth (+1.181), and rookie Antonelli fifth (+1.270). The times were very close among the leaders, suggesting multiple teams could fight for pole. An interesting incident: Hülkenberg (Sauber) spun at Turn 8 early on and stopped, which brought out a Virtual Safety Car (VSC). It turned out he had stalled in the sand trap – the track was dusty and the tyres had lost temperature after a lap. The brief yellow caution allowed drivers like Verstappen to warm tyres; Alex Albon also spun at Turn 4 later but recovered. Charles Leclerc briefly lost a mirror after a run over the high kerbs, showing the track’s harshness. Notable was a little tangle for Liam Lawson on his first flying lap: he ran into Antonelli’s Merc in a fast corner but both escaped damage. Overall, the net takeaway was that McLaren still looked bulletproof, with Ferrari showing respectable pace. Piastri ended FP3 on new softs, and looked confident.

FP3 Top 5: 1. Piastri (McLaren) 1:31.646; 2. Norris (McLaren) +0.668; 3. Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.834; 4. Russell (Mercedes) +1.181; 5. Antonelli (Mercedes) +1.270.

Qualifying (Saturday Evening)

When qualifying night arrived, temperatures were lower (25°C track) and the floodlights brightly lit the Sakhir circuit. In Q1, McLaren dominated as expected: both Piastri and Norris easily progressed. Mercedes also looked strong early, with Russ and Antonelli in the mix. The big surprise was Alexander Albon, who – despite Williams’s testing form – could only manage 16th in Q1 and was eliminated. Also knocked out in Q1 were rookie Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Alonso, Bearman (Haas), and Lawson. Norris’s practice pace was missing – he looked jittery and ultimately put in only a 1:31.107 (Q1) and 1:30.560 (Q2), which left him P6 on the grid.

Q2 saw drama. The session had barely started when Esteban Ocon lost control at Turn 2 and crashed heavily, scattering debris. This triggered a red flag just as the first runs were beginning. After a long delay and repairs, the session resumed with 11 minutes remaining. On their out laps, the McLarens again impressed: Piastri did a 1:30.454 and Norris a 1:30.560, putting them about half a second clear of their nearest rivals. A curious rule situation unfolded: when the track went green after the Ocon crash, both Mercedes drivers – Russell and Antonelli – jumped the pit exit line before the official restart signal. The stewards later penalised each with a one-place grid drop (Russell fell from Q2 second to third, Antonelli from fourth to fifth) that would take effect in the starting lineup.

Near the end of Q2, a final flurry of laps shuffled the order. Pierre Gasly put Alpine P3 on the charts, and Carlos Sainz (Williams) remarkably qualified P6. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) went out in Q2 after one lap. Ultimately, the slowest cars to make Q3 (and join Piastri, Norris, Russell, Gasly, Sainz) were Yuki Tsunoda and another Alpine (Jack Doohan) – Q2 times deleted rookie Hülkenberg would have been knocked out too.

In Q3, the top six was McLaren-Mercedes-Ferrari in some order. Piastri put in the banker lap with 1:29.841 – perfect timing as the track peaked. Russell responded brilliantly but was 0.168 shy. Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari third in 1:30.175. Kimi Antonelli initially slotted fourth before his penalty. Norris, whose final run was “a bit messy” as his engineer later admitted, could only manage 1:30.267 for sixth. Alex Albon sat out Q2, while Hamilton drove through having only medium tyres on his Ferrari – he placed P9 (1:30.772 in Q2). In the end, the pole belonged to Piastri (1:29.841), with Russell second. However, Russell then inherited third on the grid due to his penalty, so the final grid front row was Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Norris, Gasly, Verstappen. Notably, Sainz put the new Williams P6, ahead of Hamilton P9, which was a rare Williams spot in Q3. Qualifying Results: 1. Piastri 1:29.841; 2. Russell +0.168; 3. Leclerc +0.334; 4. Antonelli (before penalty) 1:30.213; 5. Gasly 1:30.216; 6. Norris 1:30.267.

Race (Sunday)

Race Start and Early Laps

Race day dawned warm (28–29°C). Cars took to the grid under the lights, with Piastri on pole for McLaren and Leclerc surprisingly on the front row in his Ferrari (Russell having taken a penalty). Piastri got a superb start: he held the lead into Turn 1 despite George Russell briefly jumping ahead of Leclerc, locking up but avoiding contact. Lando Norris had an exceptional launch from sixth on the grid – he rocketed into third before Turn 1, passing Leclerc and briefly chasing down Russell. So after Lap 1, the order was Piastri, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Gasly, Sainz (who had also made up places). Piastri was already more than a second clear.

But off-track drama hit early: the stewards flagged Norris for a potential false start, as he had been “out of his grid box” at the lights. Moments later, it was confirmed he would receive a 5-second time penalty for this breach. Piastri radioed calm to his team (“All good on my side,” he said on the first lap), but Norris’s race just got harder. Meanwhile, behind the leaders, Alexander Albon and Esteban Ocon had charged into the top 10 with their starts. Oliver Bearman, starting last, amazingly climbed to P15 on the first lap – an impressive recovery from Haas’s young Brit.

Mid-Race Battle and First Stops

By Lap 9, Norris was already closing on the two Ferraris ahead of him (Leclerc and Hamilton in P8). Lewis Hamilton passed Sainz for eighth, causing the Williams to slide off line. But Norris’s strategy came under threat: on Lap 11, McLaren called him into the pits to serve his 5s penalty while changing tyres. Norris came out in P14 on fresh mediums, as many cars ahead had yet to stop. Piastri stayed out longer and finally pitted on Lap 15 for mediums as well, rejoining still in the lead (with Russell and Leclerc ahead on track before they pitted).

After the round of pit stops, the order had shaken up: Piastri still led, followed by Russell, Norris (who had worked back to P3), Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon (who’d pitted early from P8 to try something different), Kimi Antonelli, Verstappen, Doohan and Hamilton in the top ten. The Mercedes rookies had made moves: Antonelli swept by Verstappen for P7 on Lap 21, signaling the pace of the new Merc was strong. However, Hamilton was really showing speed: the Ferrari was fastest on track, and Hamilton charged past Doohan and then Verstappen, taking P7 by Lap 23. Verstappen was overheated and struggling – he radioed “I can’t even brake anymore” – a worrying omen for him.

Meanwhile, Norris and Leclerc battled. Leclerc tried the inside at Turn 1 but ran wide, surrendering P3 to Norris, though Norris immediately gave it back (Leclerc re-passed at Turn 4 to retake P3). By halfway, Piastri had a 6-second lead over Russell, with Leclerc third, Norris fourth and Hamilton fifth. The race had settled into its first rhythm. All the leaders (Piastri through Hamilton) had done one stop (soft-to-medium). The younger drivers Antonelli and Gasly were eyeing two stops; teams measured tyre wear carefully on these abrasive tarmac surfaces.

Safety Car Period (Lap 30)

Around Lap 28–30, things went haywire. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) lost the back end of his car in a tussle with Carlos Sainz (Williams) at Turn 2, and made contact. This scatter created debris: on-board footage showed pieces falling off Sainz’s Williams sidepod, which turned out to be the carbon fibre ripped open by Tsunoda’s slide. Marshals responded and a Safety Car was called on Lap 30. Its timing was unfortunate for some and fortunate for others. Before the SC, Piastri had built a gap of 6 seconds.

Under the Safety Car, most front-runners pitted for fresh tyres. Piastri and Norris took mediums again, Leclerc and Hamilton switched to new hard tyres (despite Leclerc earlier hinting he might try one-stop). Unusually, Russell alone took soft tyres after his previous stint was also on mediums. McLaren principal Andrea Stella later called this move “audacious,” as Russell admitted on team radio; Mercedes wanted a final flyer on the fast compound. Gasly and Ocon chose to stay out and inherited P6–7 once the pits calmed. Verstappen also pitted under SC but had awful luck: his front-right wheel wouldn’t come off cleanly, costing extra seconds and dropping him to the rear. Oliver Bearman also stayed out on old tyres and jumped to P8 after the restart.

When the Safety Car peeled in on Lap 35, the order was Piastri, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Gasly, Ocon, Bearman, Tsunoda, Doohan. At the restart, Piastri got away fine, but Norris (P3) got held up battling Leclerc and Hamilton. He briefly lost fourth to Hamilton, but immediately retook it. He then engaged in a prolonged fight with Leclerc for third. He tried again at Lap 49 into Turn 1 (locking up but holding the position), and ultimately snatched P3 on Lap 52 around the outside of Turn 4. This completed a 1-3 result for McLaren.

Final Stages and Checkered Flag

With 15 laps to go, the top five was Piastri (lead 1.8s), Russell, Norris, Hamilton, Gasly. Hamilton’s tires were on medium rather than hard, and he was catching Norris, but McLaren’s Lando held him off. Russell meanwhile was nursing small gearbox issues – he later admitted to his engineer he had no DRS, and stewards would note a DRS infringement (though no penalty came). The battle for 6th was lively: Gasly fought Verstappen and Tsunoda, but Verstappen swept around Gasly on Lap 40. In the midfield, doohan was in pursuit of Tsunoda for 9th. Racing Bulls rookie Lawson was given a 10s penalty late for causing contact with Hülkenberg, though it didn’t change his finishing place (P17 in the official record, plus 15s).

In the final laps, Norris threw everything at Russell – he got within a few tenths several times but had to settle for P3 at the flag, just 0.774s back. Piastri took the checkered flag in dominant fashion – 15 seconds clear – to score his (and McLaren’s) first win in Bahrain. Russell was second, Norris third. Leclerc hung onto P4 despite pressure, with Hamilton P5. Verstappen made up for his pit misfortunes by passing Gasly at the line for P6. Gasly took P7 (Alpine’s first points of 2025) and Ocon P8 for Haas (his bold early stop having paid off). Tsunoda secured his first points for Red Bull in P9, and rookie Bearman, after starting last, scored P10. After races and penalties, the full official finishing order was:

• P1 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:35:39.435 (25 points)
• P2 George Russell (Mercedes) +15.499s (18 pts)
• P3 Lando Norris (McLaren) +16.273s (15 pts)
• P4 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +19.679s (12 pts)
• P5 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +27.993s (10 pts)
• P6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +34.395s (8 pts)
• P7 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +36.002s (6 pts)
• P8 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +44.244s (4 pts)
• P9 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +45.061s (2 pts)
• P10 Oliver Bearman (Haas) +47.594s (1 pt)
• P11 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +48.016s; P12 Alex Albon (Williams) +48.839s; P13 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +56.314s; P14 Jack Doohan (Alpine) +57.806s; P15 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +60.340s; P16 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +64.435s; P17 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +65.489s; P18 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +66.872s. Carlos Sainz (Williams) retired (DNF) with damage. Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) was later disqualified from 13th place for a technical infringement. Notably, Lawson served two collision penalties and Doohan a track-limits penalty; because these were added to their race times rather than dropping them from the order, their positions remained P16 and P14 respectively.

Key Moments and Tension

Throughout the race, the emotional swings were intense. I held my breath during the Safety Car period – would Piastri keep his lead? He did, and when the restart came out he quickly rebuilt his gap. I couldn’t believe how close Norris got to Russell in the final laps; the tension was palpable as he darted every which way on his black McLaren. When Norris finally passed Leclerc on lap 52, I cheered – even though it didn’t change the podium positions, it showed his determination. After the finish, I sprinted to the McLaren garage area (in spirit) to catch their celebration. Oscar Piastri could hardly hide his excitement: “It’s been an incredible weekend… I can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given us – it was pretty handy out there!” he beamed. Lando Norris was more reserved but proud: “An up and down race…still plenty of positives…Congrats to Oscar and the team. I’ll keep my head down and work hard for Saudi”. Hearing the McLaren boss Andrea Stella remind us that this was “a first victory for the team here” and praise everyone’s hard work gave me goosebumps. It was a wonderful moment as an F1 fan to see McLaren break their Bahrain duck.

From Ferrari’s side, Charles Leclerc stayed upbeat. He said “there are no regrets” but admitted “we just need more pace”, noting that the safety car “reset things” and Ferrari couldn’t fight McLaren once it came out. Ferrari’s Frédéric Vasseur tactfully blamed the Safety Car timing: “We were in the middle of a good second stint…When the Safety Car came out…it spoilt our plans”, but he also congratulated both drivers for recovering well. Hamilton was reasonably satisfied, calling it “a solid race”, especially after a poor qualifying. Max Verstappen and Red Bull were contrite: Verstappen explained that P6 “was the best we could do” on a weekend with brake and balance issues and a botched pitlight problem. Tsunoda, scoring his first points in a Red Bull jersey (9th), simply said it had to be a “positive day” for his first top-10 in the senior team.

Off-track, there was some intrigue as well. Mercedes’ Russell had to answer questions for a DRS infringement (using DRS when it shouldn’t have been enabled). The stewards investigated but ultimately no penalty was applied, so his result stood. Contract rumours flew: with McLaren strong and Oscar a double-winner, could a big team come calling? Meanwhile, pundits noted that Ferrari’s Bahraini floor upgrade (and a new rear wing for Jeddah next week) had shown early promise but may need different circuits to fully shine. Williams and Aston Martin will review Sainz’s crash, which was caused by that scuffle with Tsunoda that also triggered the Safety Car. And in the background, Valtteri Bottas (former Alfa Romeo/Sauber driver) was finalizing a move into a management role, freeing the way for the Hulkenberg–Bortoleto line up that we saw. The paddock was alive with chatter about what it all meant for the title fight.

Post-Race Reflection and Championship Impact

This Bahrain result shook up the championship. Oscar Piastri’s second win of the season puts him at the top of the standings with 146 points, 13 clear of teammate Norris (133). Verstappen, who has had a mixed start, sits third on 124. Russell’s consistent podiums place him fourth (99), and Leclerc fifth (61). McLaren clearly strengthened their grip on the title battle, especially with a one-two already in the bag (Australian GP and Bahrain) and Norris scoring his fourth podium in four races. For Ferrari, Leclerc’s P4 was a consolation that they may have closed a small gap, as he hinted after the race. Mercedes had a solid weekend but still need more to catch McLaren. Red Bull seemed to have the pace fall off late, and they’ll be keen to address the balance issues before Jeddah.

Looking ahead, all eyes turn to the next race in Saudi Arabia (Jeddah Corniche) on April 18–20. The triple-header finale pushes on without much rest. For us fans and aspiring journalists, Bahrain was a reminder that F1 can still surprise. I know I’ll be reviewing these notes carefully as I try to capture the excitement in my portfolio. Watching Piastri lift his trophy, I felt exhilarated – a sign that even a 16-year-old can dream of being part of this world one day.

Sources: Official F1 timings and reports; post-race quotes; championship standings.

Written By Tom Hislop