Oscar Piastri delivered a flawless performance to claim victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix, moving himself to within three points of the world championship lead. The Australian driver converted his pole position into a commanding win, securing his second victory of the season and McLaren’s first-ever triumph at the Bahrain circuit.

Piastri’s dominance was challenged only briefly at the start when George Russell attempted an ambitious move around the outside at Turn 1. The Mercedes driver locked up under braking, allowing Piastri to maintain his lead and control the race from the front. Building a comfortable 7-second advantage by lap 32, Piastri’s rhythm was interrupted only by a safety car period that bunched up the field.

“It’s been an incredible weekend,” Piastri said after the race. “To finish the job today in style is nice. I can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given us. It was pretty handy out there. It’s been a great weekend — and I’m proud of what I’ve done this weekend as well.”

Despite Russell’s strategic switch to soft tires during the safety car period, which initially kept him in contention, Piastri masterfully managed the restart and gradually pulled away as Russell’s tires began to deteriorate. The McLaren driver ultimately crossed the finish line with a commanding 15-second advantage.

Russell’s second-place finish came despite facing a cascade of technical issues in the closing stages, including a transponder failure, DRS detection problems, and potential dashboard and brake-by-wire failures. In the final laps, he reported shifting difficulties but managed to fend off a last-lap challenge from Lando Norris to secure the runner-up position.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Russell admitted. “It was really hard to keep Lando behind. Nevertheless, really pleased with P2. Oscar was in a league of his own, so congratulations to him and McLaren.”

Norris, who started sixth and incurred a 5-second penalty for starting too far forward on the grid, completed the podium. His recovery drive featured a thrilling battle with Charles Leclerc, which he eventually won with an impressive overtake around the outside at Turn 4 on lap 52.

“A tough race,” Norris reflected. “I made too many mistakes with the overtakes, out of position [on the grid] — it was a messy race for me. I’m disappointed not to bring home a one-two for McLaren.”

Leclerc finished fourth ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in fifth, both Ferrari drivers struggling on the hard compound tires during the final stint. Max Verstappen could only manage sixth place after a difficult evening marked by suboptimal tire strategy and slow pit stops due to equipment malfunctions.

Pierre Gasly secured an impressive seventh place for Alpine, followed by teammate Esteban Ocon, who climbed from 14th on the grid through clever strategy. Yuki Tsunoda scored his first points as a Red Bull Racing driver in ninth, while Oliver Bearman completed the top ten, having gained ten positions and securing valuable points that moved Haas ahead of Williams in the constructors’ championship.

The result tightens the championship battle, with Norris maintaining his lead but Piastri now just three points behind, setting the stage for an exciting season as McLaren demonstrates its emerging strength.

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