Bahrain GP 2025
APRIL 12, 2025
Qualifying Report - Piastri on Pole as Verstappen, Norris miss out
© McLaren
Oscar Piastri claimed a stunning pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, as McLaren confirmed their frontrunning pace and both Max Verstappen and Lando Norris failed to make the top five in a dramatic qualifying session at Sakhir.
Piastri delivered a late 1m30.233s lap in Q3 to beat Mercedes’ George Russell to the top spot, marking the Australian’s second career pole. Charles Leclerc took third for Ferrari, narrowly ahead of Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who impressed with a personal best in fourth. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly pulled off a surprise by sealing fifth on the grid.
It was a frustrating evening for McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who could only manage sixth and seventh respectively. Norris had looked like a contender for pole after topping Q1, but a messy final lap cost him dearly. Verstappen struggled with brake issues and complained about the car’s balance throughout qualifying, leaving him off the front rows for only the second time this season.
Qualifying started with Red Bull already under pressure in Q1. Verstappen went off at the final corner of his flying lap and later reported “something really wrong with the car.” Despite this, he progressed to Q2 in third behind session leader Norris. Tsunoda also advanced, but others weren’t as lucky. Alex Albon was knocked out in 16th, his first Q1 exit of the season, while Liam Lawson struggled with DRS issues. They were joined in elimination by Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and rookie Oliver Bearman, who couldn’t overcome front-locking issues.
Q2 saw a red flag just minutes into the session after Esteban Ocon crashed his Haas exiting Turn 2. The Frenchman lost control on the kerbs and slammed into the wall. He was uninjured, and the session resumed after an eight-minute stoppage.
Once running resumed, Piastri again led the field, followed closely by Norris. Gasly slotted into third, showing Alpine’s surprising pace. Jack Doohan missed Q3 by just one spot, ending 11th. Isack Hadjar, Nico Hulkenberg, and Fernando Alonso were also eliminated, the latter unable to repeat his earlier Q1 form. Verstappen and Tsunoda narrowly advanced in ninth and 10th.
In Q3, Piastri set the early benchmark ahead of Russell and Norris. Antonelli briefly claimed provisional pole on his final run, only for Russell to respond. But Piastri then delivered a faultless lap in the final seconds to reclaim top spot.
Leclerc improved late to split the Mercedes drivers in third, pushing Antonelli to fourth. Gasly came within 0.003s of Antonelli in fifth, capping a standout session for Alpine. Norris and Verstappen both failed to improve and were left in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Carlos Sainz placed eighth for Williams, while Lewis Hamilton saw his best lap deleted for track limits and ended up ninth. Tsunoda completed the top 10, showing progress despite failing to put together a clean lap in Q3.
Piastri’s pole gives McLaren early momentum, but with strong challengers just behind, Sunday’s race promises a fiercely contested battle under the lights in Bahrain.