Oscar Piastri wins in Bahrain

Oscar Piastri converted pole position into victory at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, crossing the finish line with a 15.499-second advantage over George Russell. McLaren capped off a strong performance by also placing Lando Norris on the podium, in a race where Max Verstappen could only manage sixth in an underwhelming display.

Norris hit with start penalty; Bearman makes early gains

From lights out, Piastri, Russell, and Norris established themselves at the front. The Australian maintained his lead comfortably, while Russell regained second place after losing grid positions in qualifying. Oliver Bearman gained five places off the line, capitalizing on the opening lap chaos.

Norris, who had surged from sixth to third, was handed a five-second penalty for incorrect starting box alignment. The sanction came on lap 8, disrupting his early strategy. Verstappen, meanwhile, remained stranded in seventh during the race's first stint.

Early pit stops and strategic calls

Isack Hadjar initiated the pit sequence on lap 6. The strategic picture began forming by lap 11, with Gasly, Verstappen, and Norris pitting in quick succession. Norris served his penalty during this stop and, despite the time loss, remained within striking distance of the leaders.

At this stage, the top five comprised Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, and Hamilton. Red Bull fitted hard tires during Verstappen's first stop - a choice the Dutchman immediately criticized over team radio for lacking grip. His situation worsened with a sluggish 6+ second stop on lap 27, ending any podium hopes.

Leclerc and Hamilton lose ground

Leclerc briefly led before pitting on lap 8, dropping from first to fifth. Hamilton fell further after his stop, tumbling out of the points after running second.

By lap 20, Gasly held fifth ahead of Ocon and Doohan, marking a competitive showing for Alpine. Five laps later, Leclerc passed Norris to reclaim third, benefiting from superior tire management.

Safety Car chaos and restart drama

The race dynamic shifted on lap 32 when track debris triggered a Safety Car. This allowed multiple drivers to make second stops without significant position loss. The restart came on lap 35, coinciding with a timing system failure that left broadcasts without position graphics during the most intense phase.

During this period, Ferrari and Norris engaged in multiple position swaps. Lawson received a penalty on lap 42 for causing a collision, and by lap 44 the timing screens showed a top five of Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Norris, and Hamilton.

Tight finish: Sainz retires as Norris attacks

On lap 47, Carlos Sainz retired his Williams with sidepod damage after contact with Tsunoda. While the midfield remained volatile, Norris mounted a late charge for third.

After several attempts, he passed Leclerc around the outside on lap 52. Though he closed on Russell in the final laps, the Mercedes driver held on by 0.774s at the checkered flag (lap 57) despite intermittent DRS issues.

Championship battle tightens

With this result, Lando Norris retains the championship lead, though now with just a three-point advantage over Oscar Piastri, who moves ahead of Verstappen in the standings after the Dutchman's sixth-place finish in Bahrain.