Piastri Stuns with Shock Pole

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

McLaren's Oscar Piastri stunned the field in Sakhir last night to secure a sensational pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix — as title contenders Lando Norris and Max Verstappen faltered in an unpredictable qualifying session.

The McLaren driver produced a flawless lap of 1:29.841 to edge out Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.168s, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc settled for third.

It was a night of mixed fortunes for McLaren, with Norris only managing sixth, one place ahead of a frustrated Verstappen, who struggled for rhythm throughout the evening.

Piastri Delivers When It Matters

Having shown strong pace throughout the weekend, Piastri came alive in Q3, hooking up a clean lap while others around him faltered. Russell looked to have snatched top spot late on, only for the Australian to hit back in style — delivering McLaren’s first pole since Norris in 2023.

“It’s a good one,” said Piastri. “That felt tidy.”

“I felt confident out there all weekend. FP3 we had good pace, and Qualifying – the others caught up a little closer than I wanted, but I delivered the laps when it mattered so very, very happy,” he added.
“I have to get to Turn 1 in first so let's see what happens but I've felt comfortable all weekend. I can't thank the team enough for the car they have given me.”

Ferrari's Leclerc secured P3, just ahead of teenage teammate Kimi Antonelli, who continued to impress in only his second F1 weekend. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top five for Alpine.

“Honestly, I didn't expect P3,” said Leclerc. “At the beginning of Q3 everything felt really bad with the old tyres, but as soon as we put on the new tyres everything felt better. I did not expect it but I am very happy. The team has pushed like crazy to bring those upgrades here. It's a small gain, not a big one but next week it should be a bit more of a step."

Verstappen and Norris Off the Pace

Verstappen, usually supreme over one lap, was ragged in Q3. A lock-up into Turn 1 left him on the back foot, and he could only manage seventh — his worst qualifying result since Brazil last season. Norris, meanwhile, never looked fully comfortable and lines up just ahead of the Red Bull driver in sixth.

"I'm just not quick enough," said a very downcast Norris. He didn't really want to answer the questions and looked fairly devastated.
One-word answers, he wouldn't be drawn on what went wrong — just repeating: "I'm not quick enough."

Mercedes duo Russell and Antonelli proved the surprise package, sandwiching Leclerc and showing promise with their upgraded package.

“100% – if anyone said we would be within half a second of the McLarens, we'd have taken it as we'd have been P3 on the grid, so to be P2 is a bonus,” said Russell.
“The nighttime coming in, the temperatures getting cooler – earlier when it was roasting hot, the McLarens were down the road.”

Chaos Behind the Scenes

The session wasn’t without drama. Esteban Ocon brought out the red flag in Q2 after crashing his Haas at Turn 2, eerily close to where Romain Grosjean suffered his fiery crash in 2020. The interruption disrupted several drivers’ tyre plans, adding further tension to a congested middle segment.

To add to the confusion, Nico Hulkenberg advanced to Q2 despite exceeding track limits in Q1 — a mistake that only came to light after the session ended. Alex Albon, who was wrongly eliminated as a result, was left fuming after being robbed of a fair shot in Q2.

Full Qualifying Result – Top 10

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:29.841
George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:30.009
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:30.175
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
Alexander Albon (Williams)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
Esteban Ocon (Haas)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

With Piastri on pole and the established contenders out of position, today’s Grand Prix promises fireworks under the Bahrain lights.