Oscar Piastri claimed a dramatic pole position for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, delivering a perfect lap when it counted to edge out George Russell and Charles Leclerc in a tightly fought qualifying session. While McLaren had looked untouchable throughout the weekend and appeared poised for a front-row lockout based on their free practice dominance, the final minutes of Q3 told a more complex story. In a surprise twist, Lando Norris—championship leader heading into round four of the 2025 season—could only manage sixth after a messy final effort.
What To Know?
- Oscar Piastri claimed pole with a 1:29.841, leading Russell and Leclerc in a dramatic Q3 showdown.
- Lando Norris struggled in Q3, ending up sixth, with Verstappen just behind in seventh amid ongoing brake issues.
- Mercedes and Ferrari impressed, with Antonelli fourth and Gasly shining in fifth for Alpine; Hamilton placed ninth after a lap deletion.
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Piastri’s pole-winning time of 1:29.841 came as the track peaked during the closing moments of Q3, and the Australian seized the opportunity with both hands. It was the second pole of his F1 career and set the stage for a potentially pivotal race in the early championship battle. Behind him, Mercedes continued their recent resurgence with George Russell taking second, just 0.2s adrift, while Leclerc secured third in a Ferrari that finally looked more competitive under the Bahrain lights.
The session wasn’t without controversy, however. Both Mercedes cars—Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli, who qualified an impressive fourth—were placed under post-session investigation for potential rule breaches, casting a shadow over their strong performance. Antonelli, in particular, continued to impress with his rapid adaptation to F1, comfortably outqualifying the former seven-time world champion Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who wound up a frustrated ninth with Ferrari.
Pierre Gasly delivered a standout result in fifth for Alpine, capitalising on a subpar final lap from Norris. The Frenchman’s effort once again showcased Alpine’s improvement during the weekend and his own knack for delivering when it mattered. Norris, who led the championship by a single point over Max Verstappen, struggled with rear-end instability and never looked comfortable in the final shootout. He would start sixth—one place ahead of Verstappen, who battled persistent braking issues throughout qualifying.
With the title fight tightening at the top—Piastri just 13 points behind Norris—a front-row start put the McLaren driver in a prime position to capitalise on his teammate’s misstep. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s seventh-place grid slot reflected a continuation of Red Bull’s less-than-perfect form in Bahrain. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda, however, did manage to squeeze into Q3, qualifying 10th after rebounding from a tough Friday.
Carlos Sainz gave Williams another reason to be optimistic, qualifying eighth and showing continued improvement since joining the team. While the Spaniard impressed, the same couldn’t be said for Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver had one of his laps deleted for track limits and couldn’t extract full performance from the upgraded SF-25.
Outside the top 10, Jack Doohan narrowly missed out on a Q3 slot, finishing 11th for Alpine. Isack Hadjar was 12th for Racing Bulls, followed by Fernando Alonso in 13th. Haas’ Esteban Ocon ended up 14th after a dramatic Q2 crash at Turn 2, which brought out the red flags—fortunately, the Frenchman walked away unscathed. Nico Hulkenberg took 15th after a delayed lap deletion reshuffled the Q1 order.
Further down the grid, Alex Albon suffered his first major qualifying setback of the 2025 campaign, failing to escape Q1 while his teammate Sainz advanced comfortably. Liam Lawson encountered DRS issues that limited his pace, placing 17th, ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Ollie Bearman—who finished 20th after mistakes on his final push lap in Q1.
2025 Bahrain GP Qualifying Results
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying, 12 April 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:31.392 | 1:30.454 | 1:29.841 | 15 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.494 | 1:30.664 | 1:30.009 | 20 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.454 | 1:30.724 | 1:30.175 | 16 |
| 4 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:31.415 | 1:30.716 | 1:30.213 | 20 |
| 5 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:31.462 | 1:30.643 | 1:30.216 | 19 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:31.107 | 1:30.560 | 1:30.267 | 18 |
| 7 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:31.303 | 1:31.019 | 1:30.423 | 17 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:31.591 | 1:30.844 | 1:30.680 | 19 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:31.219 | 1:31.009 | 1:30.772 | 18 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:31.751 | 1:31.228 | 1:31.303 | 17 |
| 11 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 1:31.414 | 1:31.245 | 13 | |
| 12 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:31.591 | 1:31.271 | 12 | |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:31.634 | 1:31.886 | 15 | |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:31.594 | DNF | 8 | |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:32.040 | 6 | ||
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:32.067 | 17 | ||
| 17 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:32.165 | 6 | ||
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:32.186 | 6 | ||
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:32.283 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:32.373 | 6 |
Russell and Antonelli Handed Grid Penalties for Bahrain Grand Prix
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli both received one-place grid penalties for the Bahrain Grand Prix, following procedural infractions during Saturday’s Qualifying session.
The pair had originally qualified second and fourth, respectively, in what was a promising outing for the Silver Arrows at the Bahrain International Circuit. However, the penalties now dropped Russell to third and Antonelli to fifth on the starting grid.
The stewards’ ruling came after an investigation into an incident during Q2, when both Mercedes cars were released into the fast land of the pit lane before the session had officially resumed following a red flag caused by Esteban Ocon’s crash. According to the regulations, teams must wait until the restart time is confirmed before sending cars out.
Despite the setback, Mercedes remained well-placed for Sunday’s race, with both cars still starting in the top five.
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:29.841 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:30.175 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:30.009 |
| 4 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:30.216 |
| 5 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:30.213 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:30.267 |
| 7 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:30.423 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:30.680 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:30.772 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:31.303 |
| 11 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 1:31.245 |
| 12 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:31.271 |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:31.886 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | |
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:32.067 |
| 17 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:32.165 |
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:32.186 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:32.283 |
| 20 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:32.373 |
| Note – Russell and Antonelli both received one-place penalties for failing to follow Race Director’s instructions. | ||||
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