Oscar Piastri eased to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix as Lando Norris battled back from his disappointing qualifying to finish third.
The Australian converted his pole position into a commanding win under the lights at the Sakhir circuit, coming home over 15 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.
Norris, who began the weekend with a one-point lead in the championship, overcame a five-second penalty and a ding-dong battle with Charles Leclerc to finish on the podium.
Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton secured fourth and fifth for Ferrari, while Max Verstappen finished sixth.
Follow live updates from the Bahrain Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Oscar Piastri wins the Bahrain GP; Russell 2nd; Norris 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 in Bahrain
- DISQUALIFIED! Nico Hulkenberg punished post-race
- PENALTY! Norris gets a five-second time penalty for a false start
- START! Russell up to second, Norris makes up three places!
F1 driver standings after Bahrain GP
23:56 , Kieran Jackson4. George Russell – 63 points
5. Charles Leclerc – 35 points
6. Kimi Antonelli – 30 points
8. Alex Albon – 18 points
9. Esteban Ocon – 14 points
10. Lance Stroll – 10 points
11. Pierre Gasly – 6 points
12. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
13. Ollie Bearman – 6 points
14. Isack Hadjar – 4 points
16. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Jack Doohan – 0 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
McLaren celebrate their 1-3 finish:
22:59 , Kieran Jackson
Nico Hulkenberg disqualified
22:24 , Kieran JacksonThe Sauber driver, who finished 13th, has been disqualified from the Bahrain GP due to skid wear of the plank!
According to a technical report issued just moments after the race: "Measurements were taken along the stiffness compliant area at three different points of the periphery (inner arc).
“The recorded measurement were 8.4 mm (LHS), 8.5 mm (car centerline) and 8.4 mm (RHS)."
Russell on his second-place finish:
22:15 , Kieran Jackson🏆 P2 in Bahrain!! 🙌
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) April 13, 2025
Great work team, really great weekend!! Congrats to Oscar and Lando on the podium 👍 pic.twitter.com/AlAQUdDo28
Lewis Hamilton identifies key to finding form at Ferrari: ‘I will do a better job’
21:30 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton insists he is “adjusting” to changing his driving style as he looks to find his feet at Ferrari after a mixed Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
The seven-time world champion, who has struggled in the opening month of his Ferrari career, finished fifth in the race on Sunday – his best finish so far in 2025 other than his sprint win in China.
It was an improved display for Hamilton, who started ninth, with Ferrari showing promise with a different strategy to frontrunners McLaren and Mercedes. However, they were still short of pace compared to race winner Oscar Piastri.
Yet Hamilton still only has 25 points to his name and is already 52 points behind championship leader Lando Norris, heading into race five in Saudi Arabia next week.
Hamilton identifies key to finding F1 form at Ferrari: ‘I will do a better job’
Max Verstappen after finishing sixth:
21:08 , Kieran Jackson“The start was not good, the pace was not good, the balance was not where I wanted it to be. Pit stops went wrong with the lights. I was stuck in traffic. We pitted then and even worse, then I was last.
“Considering everything, to finish P6 was a good result.
“We are bad on tyre management at the moment, on a track like this it all gets highlighted for sure.
On Saudi: “If you’re poor on tyres, you’re poor everywhere. Weaker than our competitors, take that into consideration.”
“I was not at the same level as the cars ahead of me.”
BREAKING: George Russell avoids a penalty
20:46 , Kieran JacksonThe Mercedes driver will keep second place.
Lewis Hamilton, after finishing fifth:
20:12 , Kieran Jackson“I think what’s clear, as humans, we get really stuck in our ways.
“I’ve been driving a certain syle and way for a long time with the same team, a new car has new systems. There are new engine brakes. This car requires a different driving style, I’m adjusting to that, slowly getting into that.
“I was a long way away from Charles last weekend and this weekend, all the settings are off. I’ve got to do a better job, I know I can and I will.
“I’ve got to make it easier for myself, doing it the hard way at the moment. Will try next week to start in a better place, I think I’ve figured out how the car likes to drive, if I qualify better I can have a much better weekend.”
Charles Leclerc after finishing fourth:
19:50 , Kieran Jackson“We are just not fast enough, that’s the summary.
“We don’t have that pace in the car, Mercedes were a bit better in degradation. The pace was just not there, it’s very disappointing when you do everything quite well but it’s P4.
“There is no regrets, we need to find some pace.”
BREAKING: Nico Hulkenberg set to be disqualified
19:31 , Kieran JacksonNico Hulkenberg is set to be excluded from the Bahrain Grand Prix results due to excessive skid wear.
He had been classified 13th originally.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella:
19:24 , Kieran Jackson“Oscar drove a perfect race, if not a perfect weekend.
“It's good for the team and our drivers, we're in a strong position in both championships.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff:
19:12“Bahrain we expected to be one of our worst tracks, leaving with P2 is great.
“It’s the driver who saved the result today, brake-by-wire was kicking in and out. He nurtured the soft tyres well, defended in the right way - hats off to George.
“You had to open the DRS manually, closed it again immediately, no performance advantage.”
On Kimi’s race: “Messy race. First lap was messy, pushing hard on soft tyres, that’s the normal learning trajectory which is to be expected.”
VIDEO: Fun in the cool-down room!
18:59 , Kieran Jackson"Nah mate, loads of room!" 🤣
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 13, 2025
George, Oscar and Lando having a watch of the race from the cooldown room 👀 pic.twitter.com/oHUNdXhTy7
Time for the podium!
18:30 , Kieran JacksonFor the second time this year, on his 50th race start, Oscar Piastri stands on top of the podium!
The Australian and British national anthems ring out in Bahrain!
Lando Norris after finishing third:
18:23 , Kieran JacksonOn false start: “I didn't think I was that far forward I guess, tough race made too many mistakes, a messy race for me.
Disappointed not to bring home a one-two for McLaren. A tough one but a few positives
“It was close, good racing throughout, good fun! On the limit, as it should be.
“George did a good job, thought I’d be able to get him, he did a good job, congrats to Oscar and the whole McLaren team - and I’ll try and step it up for next weekend.”
"Was a messy race from me, disappointed not to bring home a 1-2 for McLaren" 🟠
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 13, 2025
Lando Norris says today was "a tough race" for him 💬 pic.twitter.com/XLzWt5XVym
TOP-10 IN BAHRAIN
17:591. Oscar Piastri
2. George Russell
3. Lando Norris
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Max Verstappen
7. Pierre Gasly
8. Esteban Ocon
9, Yuki Tsunoda
10. Ollie Bearman
Oscar Piastri after his victory:
17:56 , Kieran Jackson“It’s been an incredible weekend, the car is pretty handy out there - very proud of what I’ve done. Bahrain is an important race for us given our owners and it’s never been kind for us...
“You try and get a good restart, I was never going to let that one go.
“There’ll be a hell of a party, I won’t get involved as I have to race again next week!”
Russell DRS issue to be investigated
17:48 , Kieran JacksonWas it a Mercedes issue? Was it an issue for the whole pack, with others having DRS problems too?
We shall see!
Meanwhile, a spectacular firework display currently ongoing in Bahrain as Piastri celebrates his win!
McLaren boss Zak Brown jubilant too!
Oscar Piastri wins the Bahrain GP!
17:41 , Kieran JacksonA stunning weekend for the Australian, who claims his second win of the season!
George Russell holds on to second place - just! - with Lando Norris having to settle for third!
4-10: Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly, Ocon, Tsunoda, Bearman
Russell, however, could get a penalty for using DRS when he wasn’t meant to. We shall see...
Final lap!
17:39 , Kieran JacksonVictory is assured for Piastri, but Norris is desperate to get second from Russell!
Lando Norris within DRS to George Russell (Lap 55/57)
17:36 , Kieran JacksonCan Norris get a late second place here!?
He’s within a second of Russell in second!
Piastri’s lead is 11.4 seconds..
Lando Norris up to third! (lap 52/57)
17:32 , Kieran JacksonNorris finally gets it done!
He goes around the outside of turn 4 and keeps it on the track, and Leclerc can’t compete speed-wise!
Russell, meanwhile, has an electrical issue. He’s been told not to use DRS, but opened it by accident!
Will that be a penalty?
Oscar Piastri six seconds clear! (Lap 51/57)
17:31 , Kieran JacksonPiastri looks safe for the win here, with Russell nursing a potential electrical issue...
Norris still right on the tail with Leclerc - best battle on track at the moment for the final podium spot!
5-10: Hamilton, Gasly, Verstappen, Ocon, Tsunoda, Bearman
Lando Norris:
17:28 , Kieran Jackson“He pushed me off, I was right alongside.”
Looked like good racing to me.
Norris and Leclerc fighting for third! (Lap 4/957)
17:27 , Kieran JacksonNorris right alongside Leclerc heading into turn 4 but the Ferrari has the inside line!
Leclerc stays ahead! For now...
Sainz retires! (Lap 47/57)
17:23 , Kieran JacksonSuch a shame for Sainz, who qualified eighth, but now retires given that big hole in his sidepod!
Norris locks up at turn 1 (Lap 46/57)
17:22 , Kieran JacksonUnforced error from Norris!
He locks up on the rear of Leclerc, losing time...
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, in P20 has a 10-second penalty and a huge hole in his sidepod after an incident with Tsunoda.
Oscar Piastri has a two-second lead! (Lap 44/57)
17:19Piastri has resumed his control of this race, with a healthy lead on Russell.
Norris, meanwhile, within DRS on Leclerc in the battle for the final podium position!
4-10: Norris, Hamilton, Gasly, Verstappen, Ocon, Doohan, Tsunoda
Lewis Hamilton on the hard tyres:
17:10 , Kieran Jackson“This tyre sucks.”
Oh dear.
Lando Norris gets back past Lewis Hamilton! (Lap 38/57)
17:09 , Kieran JacksonNorris this time gets it done legally at turn 4!
Can Norris get back to the top-three?
Norris gives position back! (Lap 37/57)
17:08 , Kieran JacksonNorris told to give the place back by his McLaren team - and he does going down into turn 4!
Piastri’s lead to Russell? 1.4 seconds.
Top-10: Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, Norris, Gasly, Ocon, Verstappen, Doohan, Tsunoda
Oscar Piastri keeps lead at restart! (Lap 36/57)
17:06 , Kieran JacksonPiastri keeps lead from Russell!
Hamilton gets past Norris at turn 1 for fourth, but the McLaren gets him back at turn 4!
But was Lando off track? Lewis thinks so!
Hamilton: “Norris overtook me off track.”
FIA:
17:03 , Kieran JacksonSafety car in at the end of lap 35...
George Russell:
17:02 , Kieran Jackson“24 laps on the softs is pretty audacious!”
Should be a fascinating final 20 laps or so!
TOP-10 IN SAFETY CAR PERIOD (Lap 34/57)
17:01 , Kieran Jackson1. Piastri (medium)
2. Russell (soft)
3. Leclerc (hard)
4. Norris (medium)
5. Hamilton (hard)
6. Gasly (hard)
7. Ocon (hard)
8. Verstappen (medium)
9.Doohan (hard)
10. Sainz (hard)
Max Verstappen doesn't pit! (Lap 33/57)
17:00 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen moves up to eighth!
Piastri gets a cheap stop but so does everyone else, and he’s lost his big lead!
Hamilton: “Great stuff with the stops guys” - he’s in P5!
Safety car! (Lap 32/57)
16:58A lot of debris on track after a Sainz-Tsunoda brief touch!
Perfect for Piastri - he pits for his second stop!
In fact, all the top-six pit!
TOP-10 AFTER 30 LAPS
16:55 , Kieran Jackson1. Piastri - leader
2. Russell +6.333
3. Leclerc +1.240
4. Norris +2.088
5. Hamilton +3.778
6. Sainz +16.312
7. Tsunoda +0.388
8. Albon +1.057
9. Bearman +1.632
10. Gasly +1.836
Verstappen, having pitted twice, down in 14th!
Max Verstappen pits! (Lap 27/57)
16:49 , Kieran JacksonA slow stop for Verstappen - 6.2 seconds - and he comes out in plum last!
The only driver to pit twice, mind...
Charles Leclerc up to P3! (Lap 25/57)
16:45 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc gets it done!
Up to third!
Hamilton up to seventh, too, passing Antonelli at turn 1!
Lando Norris under pressure! (Lap 24/57)
16:44 , Kieran JacksonNorris struggling to keep third here!
Leclerc has superior speed on fresher tyres... but can’t make the move stick at turn 1, going too deep and allowing Norris to pick him off at turn 2!
Still, the Brit in the McLaren unable to pull away from Leclerc!
Top-10: Piastri, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon, Antonelli, Hamilton, Verstappen, Doohan
Antonelli passes Verstappen (Lap 21/57)
16:40 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen will be fuming about this!
He hasn’t got the pace compared to the Mercedes teen, who passes after turn 4!
TOP-10 IN BAHRAIN (Lap 20/57)
16:37 , Kieran Jackson1. Piastri
2. Russell +3.250
3. Norris +1.522
4. Leclerc +2.831
5. Gasly +2.863
6. Ocon +2.043
7. Antonelli +1.820
8. Verstappen +0.620
9. Doohan +0.818
10. Hamilton +1.694
F1 Bahrain GP!
16:36 , Kieran Jackson
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton pits! (Lap 18/57)
16:33 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc and Hamilton both pit - 2.7 and 2.3 second stops - yet Leclerc was pushing for a one-stop!
Now, they are committed to a two-stop!
Normal order at the top resumed: Piastri 1st, Russell 2nd, Norris 3rd
Oscar Piastri pits (Lap 15/57)
16:30 , Kieran JacksonA quick 2.3 second stop for the Australian, who comes back out in third!
Ferrari one-two now at the front with Leclerc and Hamilton! But they are yet to pit..
3-10: Piastri, Russell, Albon, Norris, Gasly, Alonso, Ocon, Verstappen
George Russell pits! (Lap 14/57)
16:27 , Kieran JacksonRussell dives in for a 2.2 second stop - and he comes out just ahead of Norris!
Russell on mediums...
Leclerc and Hamilton now in second and third, behind Piastri - all the top-3 yet to pit.
Oscar Piastri four seconds clear! (Lap 13/57)
16:24 , Kieran JacksonPlenty of different strategies at play here but for leader Oscar Piastri, he’s cruising with a four-second lead to George Russell!
Top-10: Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, Hamilton, Sainz, Albon, Bearmna, Alonso, Lawson
Lando Norris pits (Lap 11/57)
16:22An excruciating wait for Norris at the pit-stop, who has to wait five seconds.
Norris switches to mediums, while Verstappen also dives in and switches to hards!
Norris comes back out in 14th...
Lewis Hamilton gets past Carlos Sainz! (Lap 9/57)
16:20Hamilton moves ahead of Sainz - who battles hard! - eventually at turn 10, with Tsunoda also making his way past the slow Williams!
Top-10: Piastri, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Gasly, Antonelli, Verstapepn, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Sainz
Norris right on the gearbox of Russell here...
Lando Norris gets a five-second time penalty! (Lap 7/57)
16:16 , Kieran JacksonNorris gets a five-second penalty for a false start!
Unideal for the Brit, but the least severe penalty he could have got!
He remains in third... he’ll have to take that at his first pit-stop!
A closer look at why Lando Norris has been noted for being out of position at the race start 🔎 pic.twitter.com/1P8I2R4Lo8
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 13, 2025
Antonelli takes sixth from Sainz! (Lap 5/57)
16:15 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli dives down the inside at turn 1 and just makes it stick to get sixth!
Verstappen also squezzes past the Spaniard to take seventh, though may have done off the track!
Verstappen: “He didn’t give me a car’s width!”
Norris under investigation for illegal start (Lap 4/57)
16:09 , Kieran JacksonUh oh.
Norris’s start is being looked at by the stewards for not being in his grid spot correctly.
That may be a five-second penalty for the McLaren driver!
Oscar Piastri beyond DRS! (Lap 3/57)
16:09 , Kieran JacksonDream start for McLaren, as Piastri keeps the lead and Norris gets up to the front-three!
Piastri beyond the one-second DRS margin to Russell, too!
4-10: Leclerc, Gasly, Sainz, Antonelli, Vestappen, Hamilton, Tsunoda
Oscar Piastri keeps the lead!
16:06 , Kieran JacksonLights out and Piastri keeps the lead at turn one, but George Russell starts brilliantly to overtake Charles Leclerc - Russell locks up at turn 1 and almost hits Piastri, but slots into second!
Brilliant start for Norris too, who gets up to fourth and then overtakes Leclerc for third!
Carlos Sainz up to sixth from eighth too!
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Formation lap!
16:00 , Kieran JacksonEveryone in the top-8 starts on soft tyres apart from second-placed Charles Leclerc, who starts on mediums!
Lewis Hamilton, in ninth, also on mediums!
Oscar Piastri leads the pack around - who will hold the lead at the end of lap one here? We’re about to find out!
A reminder of the starting grid:
15:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell*
4. Pierre Gasly
5. Kimi Antonelli*
6. Lando Norris
7. Max Verstappen
8. Carlos Sainz
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Yuki Tsunoda
11. Jack Doohan
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Esteban Ocon
15. Alex Albon
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Liam Lawson
18. Gabriel Bortoleto
19. Lance Stroll
20. Ollie Bearman
*Both Mercedes drivers received a one-place grid drop for being released too early from their garages in qualifying
Bahrain Grand Prix!
15:55 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then with race four of the 2025 season!
Oscar Piastri starts on pole for McLaren - can he keep the lead at the start with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc alongside him?
Lando Norris starts down in sixth, with Lewis Hamilton in ninth and Max Verstappen in seventh!
McLaren boss Zak Brown on Lando Norris:
15:50 , Kieran Jackson“He needs a good clean start, pick off a car or two, a one-two is definitely the goal.
“Don’t overthink it, relax, there’s a reason he’s the championship leader.”
Norris starts P6...
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Time for the Bahrain national anthem!
15:46 , Kieran JacksonAll the drivers are this time in attendance on time!
Lewis Hamilton, ahead of starting ninth on the grid this afternoon:
15:40 , Kieran JacksonHow is Lewis feeling as he looks to fight back from P9 on the grid? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/7eACcwemAf
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 13, 2025
Bahrain Grand Prix race winner odds
15:35 , Kieran Jackson- Oscar Piastri - 2/5
- Lando Norris - 6/1
- Charles Leclerc, George Russell - 12/1
- Max Verstappen - 22/1
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli - 28/1
- Lewis Hamilton 66/1
- Pierre Gasly - 80/1
- Carlos Sainz - 300/1
- Yuki Tsunoda - 400/1
- Isack Hadjar - 1000/1
Jackie Stewart driving his 1973 championship-winning Tyrrell on an exhibition lap
15:13 , Kieran JacksonSpecial moment for the three-time F1 world champion earlier in Bahrain...
Lewis Hamilton apologises to Ferrari F1 team after poor qualifying in Bahrain
15:08 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton offered his apologies to his Ferrari team after qualifying only ninth for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri claimed pole position for McLaren while Mercedes’ George Russell – Hamilton’s former teammate – will start in second.
Yet while Hamilton struggled for pace in the final phase of qualifying, his current teammate at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, found some form and will start from third.
Hamilton, who will start a spot behind Williams’ Carlos Sainz – the man he replaced at Ferrari – could not hide his despondency afterwards.
Full quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton apologises to Ferrari F1 team after poor qualifying in Bahrain
F1 driver standings after three races:
15:00 , Kieran Jackson2. Max Verstappen – 61 points
3. Oscar Piastri – 49 points
4. George Russell –45 points
5. Kimi Antonelli – 30 points
6. Charles Leclerc – 20 points
7. Alex Albon – 18 points
9. Esteban Ocon – 10 points
10. Lance Stroll – 10 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
13. Isack Hadjar – 4 points
12. Ollie Bearman – 5 points
15. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
16. Pierre Gasly – 0 points
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Jack Doohan – 0 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
Lando Norris takes fresh swipe at Red Bull and urges F1 rivals to ‘stop complaining’
14:43Lando Norris has told Red Bull to focus on doing a “better job” in response to Jos Verstappen seemingly querying the legality of McLaren’s car.
Jos, father of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, reposted a video by an X user which compared the supposed flexing of the McLaren rear wing to that of the Red Bull.
The caption on the video read: “Yeah the season definitely starts in Spain, McLaren is a monster when it comes to wing flex.”
Full story below:
Lando Norris takes fresh swipe at Red Bull and urges F1 rivals to ‘stop complaining’
Lando Norris after qualifying only P6:
14:33 , Kieran Jackson“I didn’t even go a tenth quicker, not quick enough.
Asked what the issue was, Norris reacts by circling his head: “Here.”
What went wrong? “No idea, just not quick enough.
On the race: “It’s just another day, look into things, see why I was struggling so much.
How can he turn it around? “Nothing, go to sleep.”
What is the starting grid?
14:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell*
4. Pierre Gasly
5. Kimi Antonelli*
6. Lando Norris
7. Max Verstappen
8. Carlos Sainz
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Yuki Tsunoda
11. Jack Doohan
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Esteban Ocon
15. Alex Albon
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Liam Lawson
18. Gabriel Bortoleto
19. Lance Stroll
20. Ollie Bearman
*Both Mercedes drivers received a one-place grid drop for being released too early from their garages in qualifying
VIDEO: Esteban Ocon's crashin qualifying
14:13 , Kieran JacksonEsteban Ocon confirms he is okay on the radio after a big crash pic.twitter.com/OMwKicvOWC
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 12, 2025
F1 constructor standings after the first three races:
13:57 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 111 points
2. Mercedes - 75 points
3. Red Bull - 61 points
4. Ferrari - 35 points
5. Williams - 19 points
6. Haas - 15 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Racing Bulls - 7 points
9. Sauber - 6 points
10. Alpine - 0 points
Michael Schumacher signs F1 race helmet with aid of his wife Corinna
13:44 , Kieran JacksonMichael Schumacher has signed a race helmet with the help of his wife Corinna – more than 11 years since his life-changing skiing accident.
Schumacher, 56, suffered severe injuries in a skiing accident in Meribel, France, in December 2013, and has not been seen publicly since.
Yet Schumacher has, alongside every living F1 world champion, signed a helmet with his initials “MS”, which is being sold to raise funds for Sir Jackie Stewart’s Race Against Dementia charity.
“It is wonderful that Michael could sign the helmet in this worthy cause – a disease for which there is no cure,” Stewart said.
Full story below:
Michael Schumacher signs F1 race helmet with aid of his wife Corinna
Lewis Hamilton despondent after qualifying P9:
13:29 , Kieran JacksonOn radio: “Sorry guys, sorry man. Really sorry.”
On his radio message, he said: “It was about my poor performance.
“No reasons, not doing the job. It happens every Saturday, yes.”
Max Verstappen, after qualifying P7:
13:05How much of a concern is it to be so far down the order?
“Urm, I don’t know. Try to do my best, it’s been a difficult weekend for us.
“Tomorrow I’ll try and get as many points as I can. I have no idea where we will be in terms of race-pace, we’re in the middle of the pack so hopefully a bit of excitement. “
What is the starting grid?
12:44 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell*
4. Pierre Gasly
5. Kimi Antonelli*
6. Lando Norris
7. Max Verstappen
8. Carlos Sainz
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Yuki Tsunoda
11. Jack Doohan
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Esteban Ocon
15. Alex Albon
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Liam Lawson
18. Gabriel Bortoleto
19. Lance Stroll
20. Ollie Bearman
*Both Mercedes drivers received a one-place grid drop for being released too early from their garages in qualifying
F1 driver standings
12:16 , Kieran Jackson2. Max Verstappen – 61 points
3. Oscar Piastri – 49 points
4. George Russell –45 points
5. Kimi Antonelli – 30 points
6. Charles Leclerc – 20 points
7. Alex Albon – 18 points
9. Esteban Ocon – 10 points
10. Lance Stroll – 10 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
13. Isack Hadjar – 4 points
12. Ollie Bearman – 5 points
15. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
16. Pierre Gasly – 0 points
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Jack Doohan – 0 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
FLASHBACK: The year a scorching Bahrain Grand Prix smashed F1 temperature record
11:03 , Kieran Jackson“I was so excited about the race that I didn’t even sweat,” Pedro De la Rosa tells The Independent. “I didn’t drink at all – back then if you didn’t put in a drinks bottle, you saved weight on the car. So, we didn’t even fit it.”
Performance over health? He won’t be the last in F1. Yet the second iteration of the Bahrain Grand Prix, 20 years ago, was the most extreme example in the sport’s 75-year history of drivers prioritising pace over physical condition. At 42.6C, beating 40C temperatures in Dallas and Detroit in the mid-1980s, it was the hottest F1 race ever.
Full feature below:
The year a scorching Bahrain Grand Prix smashed F1’s temperature record
McLaren boss admits there is ‘a lot of work to do’ to beat Max Verstappen in F1 title race
10:03 , Kieran Jackson“When you have these indications from the track then maybe it reinforces the message that we do have to keep working well together,” said team principal Andrea Stella after the Japan GP.
“Because before it becomes an internal business only, I think there is quite a lot of work to do to clear some of the competitors.
“We don’t need these kinds of reminders because we talk about this every Thursday and Sunday of every race weekend. We are here first of all to beat the other teams and put McLaren in a very strong position.
“When McLaren is in a strong position that is the best position for the two drivers to pursue their aspirations. That is very clear to the team and very clear to the drivers.”
George Russell after finishing second:
17:51 , Kieran Jackson“It felt under control for a moment but then we had a brake-by-wire failure, I didn’t know what was going on. It was really hard-fought to keep Lando behind, one more lap and he would have got me!
“Oscar was in a league of his own, congratulations to him and McLaren. For us it’s four races and three podiums, gives us hope for the future.
“I thought ‘Jeez how we going to make this work’. Great weekend.
“We were having so many issues. Pressed the radio button and the DRS opened, then quickly closed it, lost more than I gained definitely.”
FLASHBACK: The year a scorching Bahrain Grand Prix smashed F1 temperature record
08:03 , Kieran Jackson“I was so excited about the race that I didn’t even sweat,” Pedro De la Rosa tells The Independent. “I didn’t drink at all – back then if you didn’t put in a drinks bottle, you saved weight on the car. So, we didn’t even fit it.”
Performance over health? He won’t be the last in F1. Yet the second iteration of the Bahrain Grand Prix, 20 years ago, was the most extreme example in the sport’s 75-year history of drivers prioritising pace over physical condition. At 42.6C, beating 40C temperatures in Dallas and Detroit in the mid-1980s, it was the hottest F1 race ever.
Full feature below:
The year a scorching Bahrain Grand Prix smashed F1’s temperature record
Max Verstappen compared to Michael Schumacher by former F1 driver after Japan GP comment
07:01 , Kieran JacksonF1 race winner Johnny Herbert has compared Max Verstappen to Michael Schumacher after his comment prior to his terrific win at the Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday.
“It was interesting that before the race, Max Verstappen came out with a very Michael Schumacher-esque comment which was, ‘I don't have a chance this weekend!’” Herbert said.
Full quotes below:
Verstappen compared to Schumacher by former F1 driver after Japan GP comment
QUALIFYING REPORT: Oscar Piastri outshines McLaren teammate Lando Norris to take pole in Bahrain
04:03 , Kieran JacksonOscar Piastri claimed pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix as McLaren team-mate Lando Norris qualified only sixth.
McLaren’s rivals believed that this would be the weekend which would show the advantage of the papaya cars and they duly topped all practice sessions to suggest a two-way battle for pole.
Piastri shone brightest under the lights at the Sakhir circuit to clinch pole but as rival cars ramped up the times at the end of the session, Norris could not find the answer.
Full report below:
Oscar Piastri outshines McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to take pole in Bahrain
Martin Brundle on McLaren's dominance:
03:03 , Kieran Jackson“There’s no doubt the McLaren is the fastest car, probably a tenth of a second a lap compared to the rest,” Brundle told Sky Sports F1.
“It’s a different race here, you can build a tyre advantage. Should they have tried to destabilise Red Bull? I think so yes. It’s very easy to sit on the sofa and say ‘do that, do this’, you can look quite foolish.”
Lando Norris ready to be ‘more demanding’ of McLaren in title pursuit
Saturday 12 April 2025 23:59 , Kieran Jackson“Of course we were not happy after last weekend – we were happy because we had second and third, a great result as a team still,” Norris said.
“But could it have been better and could we have potentially taken more risks and been a bit more attacking as a team? Yes. So it’s a review into these weekends to maybe be a bit more attacking at times.
“I am here to win races and not settle for second, so definitely from my side, I would love to kind of kind of go back and redo things with a slightly more aggressive approach.
“I do know deep down that it’s a long season and sometimes points on the board is better than taking unnecessary risks.”
