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Oscar Piastri delivered a commanding performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix, leading from pole to the chequered flag to claim his second win of the 2025 Formula One season. The McLaren driver became the first repeat winner this year and slashed the championship gap to teammate Lando Norris to just three points after four races.
Piastri maintained control despite early pressure from Mercedes' George Russell at Turn 1, managing to build a solid lead throughout the race. Russell finished second, 15.599 seconds behind, with Norris recovering from a grid penalty to complete the podium in third. "If we can get past Russell, we need to try. We will recover these positions," Norris was told after serving a five-second penalty for being out of position at the start.
The race was marked by drama behind the leader, with tyre strategy, penalties, and technical issues playing key roles. Several top drivers, including Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, started on the medium tyre compound in contrast to the soft tyre majority. Leclerc's alternate strategy gave him an early lead after Piastri pitted, but Ferrari's internal debate over switching to "Plan B" or "Plan D" led to both Leclerc and Hamilton double-stacking in the pits on Lap 18.
Hamilton's race picked up in the second stint, overtaking rivals and thanking his team over the radio for a "great job" after emerging in fifth. His overtake on Max Verstappen at Turn 11 highlighted the Dutchman's struggles. "I can't even brake anymore. It's just ridiculous," Verstappen said amid grip and overheating issues that plagued Red Bull's race, compounded by slow pit stops and malfunctioning pit lights.
A mid-race Safety Car, triggered by collisions involving Tsunoda and Lawson, reshuffled the pack. Piastri, Russell, and Leclerc pitted for different compounds—mediums, softs, and hards respectively—setting up a tense finish. Russell faced DRS problems and a pending post-race investigation, joking, "As long as the steering wheel doesn't fall off."
Leclerc battled Norris hard for third, forcing the McLaren wide at Turn 4 at one point, prompting Norris to complain he was "forced off the track." Ultimately, Norris got the move done and nearly snatched P2 on the final lap but fell short by 0.774 seconds.
"It was a classy victory for Piastri," as the Australian marked McLaren's first Bahrain win and his 50th career start in style.
