Oscar Pisatri Wins Bahrain GP For His Second of the Season

 

Oscar Piastri won the Bahrain Grand Prix for his second race victory of the season and the fourth of his career, while his teammate, Lando Norris, faced a fierce battle to finish in third, behind Mercedes' George Russell. 

Piastri set the pole from the qualifying session, edging Russell to claim the position. Max Verstappen did not secure the front row, and Lando Norris struggled with his pace to claim P6 ahead of the Red Bull driver. However, it was a different case in the final as Norris, Russell, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc battled through the laps. 

"It's been an incredible weekend starting with qualifying yesterday," said Piastri. "Finishing the job today in style is nice. It's very important given our owners." 

Leclerc was the underdog of the race. He kept Norris on his toes right from the start. They battled each other for the third position while Russell kept tabs on the rivals. By the last lap, Norris was on his shoulder, but he gained DRS and secured his position in second. Meanwhile, Piastri dictated the pace from the start to the green flag for a dominant race. 

The victory made Piastri the first multiple race winner of the season. It also reduces it teammate's lead over him in the driver's standings to three points, heating up the F1 Championship race between the peers. 

Tyres and McLaren Duo

Besides the victory, McLaren's tyre plan was successful. They started on soft tyres, which enabled them to gain better traction on the track. If not for Piastri, it worked out well for Norris, who battled against Leclerc from the start. Eventually, he passed the Ferrari driver by the 11th Turn. However, the Ferrari driver showed up in the latter stages until Norris gained DRS to establish his position. 

It was a sublime victory for Piastri. Russell was kept at bay for the most part while he blasted off in the lead. While Ferrari changed to hard tyres in the latter stages, McLaren changed to medium. Ferrari's choice of tyres did not change the situation for Leclerc, but Lewis Hamilton was better off in the end for finishing in sixth position. Norris' improvement from sixth on the grid to finish in third for a podium position was commendable, despite a five-second penalty for a grid box rule violation.