F1 Bahrain GP: five quick takeaways

Here's what we thought right after the race in Bahrain.

Piastri shows his title ambitions

Is it still permissible to be amazed at what Oscar Piastri is capable of in his third F1 season?

The Australian is now well and truly in the title hunt – and with the performance he showed in Bahrain, you'd have to say he's the favorite now, wouldn't you?

His 2025 campaign has been very, very impressive so far, with the only visible mistake occurring in tricky conditions in Melbourne. Without that, he'd be leading the championship right now, but he's already very close to Lando Norris in the standings. And if the Brit forgets how to drive an F1 car again, Piastri will be there to capitalise.

The weekend at Sakhir was perfect. Piastri was fast throughout practice, dominant in qualifying – and very, very strong in the race: there wasn't a single moment when it looked like someone else was going to win.

– Oleg Karpov

Oscar Piastri, McLaren (Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images)

Red Bull is in trouble

Max Verstappen managed to win the Japanese Grand Prix, largely thanks to a magical pole lap, but the weekend in Bahrain showed the real picture. "I am just taking part in this championship," Verstappen told the Dutch media on Saturday night. Asked by Motorsport.com if he was not challenging for the title at the moment, the answer was clear: "No."

The answer still seemed strange to some. After all, Verstappen was just one point off the lead going into the Bahrain Grand Prix. But the race in the desert made it crystal clear that the Dutchman was right. Red Bull is in trouble and has a lot of work to do, a mountain to climb.

"And the problem is that there is not just one problem," Verstappen explained. The team lacks pure pace and the balance issues are still there. Add to that disastrous pitstops, and the story of the Bahrain Grand Prix is told. Red Bull needs to make improvements quickly, and they must be made immediately, as the team will need to shift its focus to 2026 at some point. One thing is very clear after the Sakhir weekend: with the weapons he has now, it is indeed more "just taking part" than fighting for Verstappen in 2025...

– Ronald Vording

Norris must do better

We thought the victory in Melbourne, in very difficult conditions, proved that the new Norris had arrived, determined to silence the critics of his 2024 season. And then there was China, with its failed sprint and somewhat disappointing qualifying. In Japan, even if it was a collective failure, Lando also failed to secure pole position, which would have allowed him to win.

Lando Norris, McLaren (Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images)

But in Bahrain the Briton showed that he still had a lot of work to do to reach the level of a world champion. His sixth place in qualifying, while Oscar Piastri took pole relatively easily with a clearly dominant McLaren, did not leave a good impression. Moreover, Norris seemed lost after the session, as if he did not understand how to handle the pressure.

In the race, he made an excellent start... but was out of his grid position. A silly mistake that he could have easily avoided – and that cost him five precious seconds. Even though he saved the day in the race, he left both points and opportunities on the table. And Piastri was happy to take them.

– Fabien Gaillard

Russell, F1's invisible man of 2025, impresses again

F1 broadcasts often tend to cover McLaren as the benchmark, whatever happens to Verstappen and Ferrari's struggles. However, there is one protagonist of the 2025 F1 season who is not in the spotlight, but is always there.

George Russell has three podiums in four races and is still within touching distance of the championship lead, in what is undoubtedly the best start to a season so far in his career.

A penalty on Saturday cost him a grid position, and a "bold" gamble to use soft tyres during the safety car left him struggling at the end. But in a 2025 season where the media doesn't really pay that much attention to Mercedes, George, who is probably happy to remain invisible, continues to progress.

– Jose Carlos de Celis

Alpine finally shows its speed

Is this what Flavio Briatore wanted for his birthday yesterday? We can't say for sure, but Alpine are no longer the only team without points in the 2025 F1 season, and that's something to celebrate.

The Enstone-based outfit had shown good pace all weekend, especially yesterday when Pierre Gasly was fifth-fastest in Q3, and confirmed that today with a strong drive to seventh place.

Pierre Gasly, Alpine (Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images)

Although this is what Alpine had hoped for, it was always expected that Bahrain could be a good track for the A525 after pre-season testing. The challenge now is to carry the momentum into Saudi Arabia next week.

– Federico Faturos