Oscar Piastri registered a controlled victory from pole at the Bahrain Grand Prix, though his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished third to preserve his drivers' championship lead.

Having taken his second career pole, Piastri produced a composed drive from the off in Sakhir and never offered much hope to his main challenger, Mercedes' George Russell.

Piastri saw his seven-second lead wiped out when debris on the track brought about a safety car 32 laps in, but he successfully fought off Russell when racing resumed four laps later.

And he only pulled further clear of Russell from there, ultimately finishing 15 seconds ahead to become the season's first repeat winner, following his triumph in China.

P#McLaren | #BahrainGP  pic.twitter.com/h2gb3uG3Px

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) April 13, 2025

While Piastri was able to streak away, the safety car did bring about wheel-to-wheel racing throughout the rest of the grid, with Russell having to fend off Norris.

McLaren's Norris had made a blistering start from sixth on the grid, gaining three places only to receive a five-second time penalty for being out of position.

Norris ended up in a battle with Russell, as well as the two Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, though the Scuderia pair faded late on after being forced to finish on the hard tyres.

And after passing Leclerc with a neat run out of Turn One on lap 52, Norris had his eyes on snatching second from Russell, who held off one final push from the McLaren driver.

However, Russell came under investigation for a possible DRS infringement late on, meaning his placing could be altered post-race. A five-second time penalty would drop him to fourth.

Leclerc and Hamilton ended fourth and fifth with the latter racing from ninth on the grid, while four-time world champion Max Verstappen salvaged sixth from a chaotic outing.

Verstappen struggled with overheating and brake issues, describing the condition of his car as "ridiculous" over team radio before becoming the first driver to take a second pit stop 27 laps in.

After ditching his hard tyres for the mediums, Verstappen recovered and was ultimately able to pass Pierre Gasly, who delivered Alpine's first points of the season.

Esteban Ocon was eighth and Yuki Tsunoda ninth, while Oliver Bearman finished 10th after starting last on the grid, with Williams' Carlos Sainz retiring with 10 laps remaining after sustaining substantial damage to his car.

RACE CLASSIFICATION (LAP 57/57)

The full finishing order #F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/vcFw0nEzxt

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 13, 2025

Data Debrief: Piastri from pole

Coming into Sunday's race, there had never been a Bahrain Grand Prix victor from beyond the second row of the grid, and 10 of the last 20 winners had come from pole.

Piastri made it 11 from 21 here, never looking unduly troubled after fending off Russell's challenge on lap 32.

The Australian's victory came as he finished his 32nd successive race, with this now the sixth-longest such run by any driver in F1 history, surpassing a 31-race streak from Sainz covering the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.

It was a good weekend overall for McLaren, with Norris claiming his 30th podium finish. He is the 38th driver to reach that figure in F1 history, matching Juan-Pablo Montoya's tally. 

TOP 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. George Russell (Mercedes)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

8. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

9. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

10. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 77 

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 74 

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 69

Constructors'

1. McLaren – 151

2. Mercedes – 93

3. Red Bull – 71