Sun Apr 13 14:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Piastri Claims Pole Position in Dramatic Bahrain Qualifying; Norris Disappoints

**Manama, Bahrain** – Oscar Piastri secured a stunning pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, capitalizing on a disappointing final lap from championship leader Lando Norris. Piastri’s McLaren teammate finished a surprising sixth, leaving the Australian to claim his second career F1 pole by less than two tenths of a second over George Russell. However, post-qualifying penalties shuffled the grid.

Russell’s Mercedes received a one-place grid penalty for a premature garage release during Q2, promoting Charles Leclerc of Ferrari to the front row alongside Piastri. Russell’s teammate, Kimi Antonelli, suffered the same fate, dropping from fourth to fifth, benefiting Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

McLaren dominated practice, leading expectations of a front-row lockout. However, Norris’s costly error on his final Q3 lap left him facing a challenging race. Norris, leading the championship by only one point over Max Verstappen, who qualified seventh due to braking issues, will start behind his teammate. Piastri, now only 13 points behind Norris, has a significant opportunity to close the gap in Sunday’s race.

Other notable performances included a strong showing from Carlos Sainz in eighth for Williams, while Lewis Hamilton again struggled, finishing ninth for Ferrari. Yuki Tsunoda brought both Red Bulls into Q3 for the first time this season, but finished tenth. A heavy crash by Esteban Ocon during Q2 caused a red flag and restart, leading to the Mercedes penalties.

The Bahrain Grand Prix will air live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday at 4pm, with pre-race build-up beginning at 2:30pm. The final starting grid is:

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
8. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
9. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

The stewards also issued a post-qualifying correction, admitting an error in deleting Nico Hulkenberg’s Q1 lap for a track limits infringement only after he was already eliminated. This raised questions about the impact on Alex Albon, who was eliminated in Q1.

Read More