The Bahrain International Circuit displayed exciting yet messy conditions during the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, the fourth round race of the 2025 Formula 1 season under its famous floodlights. The desert air created a promising atmosphere for close racing but delivered a blend of great race moments and disappointing finishes, and teams looking to turnaround a shaky start, or continue their winning ways.
The Sakhir track left some drivers and teams to celebrate victory while others had to endure the bitter taste of defeat. Let’s take a look at who will leave the desert kingdom on an upswing, and those who are still searching to find away to catch McLaren.
Related: Ferrari banks on Bahrain upgrades to revive F1 2025 campaign
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) — Winner
Oscar Piastri and McLaren dominantly won the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix from the pole, leading the most laps to claim his second victory in four rounds. On his 50th F1 start, Piastri delivered a composed drive for McLaren’s first Sakhir win, building a 15-second lead post-safety car. His flawless performance marks him as a 2025 championship contender and the season’s first multiple-race winner.
George Russell (Mercedes) — Winner
George Russell finished second after a very good run, holding off a surging Land Norris and McLaren in the final laps. Despite his Mercedes sounding like the electronics were failing, Russell drove a determined race, staying calm and quick throughout. His superb start to the 2025 season is noteworthy and was our pick to surprise in this race.
Lando Norris (McLaren) — Winner
Lando Norris rallied to claim third place despite a five-second penalty for a grid box error. He skillfully navigated the field and mounted an exciting late charge, finishing just 0.774s behind Russell in second. Though the race was “scrappy” with challenges, securing a podium was a strong result. After an embarrassing qualifying round, Norris was reluctantly happy.
Ferrari — Honorable Mention Winner
Although Ferrari missed the podium at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton’s performance stood out, climbing from ninth to sixth with a bold pass on Max Verstappen. Fans voted him Driver of the Day with 29.6% of the vote, reflecting his impressive drive. Hamilton praised the Ferrari team for their “great job,” especially after reaching fifth following a safety car. Charles Leclerc, finishing fourth, battled Lando Norris for third late in the race. His medium-tire strategy added an intriguing element early on. A very good, but not great, day for Ferrari after a slew of techincal changes this week.
Related: Ferrari banks on Bahrain upgrades to revive F1 2025 campaign
Max Vanstrappen — Loser
Max Verstappen finished in a distant sixth place after struggling with his car throughout the weekend. He had a tough race, experiencing issues during his pit stops. He lost time during his first stop due to a red light in the Red Bull pit box and again at his second stop due to a sticky front-right tire. Verstappen was also not enjoying the hard tires, reporting that “everything” was “overheating” in his Red Bull and that he couldn’t brake anymore. This weekend, Red Bull had F1’s fourth-fastest car, indicating a below-par performance.
Aston Martin — Loser
The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix ended in disappointment for the team after Fernando Alonso & Lance Stroll finished 16th and 18th, respectively, outside the points. At a track where they had celebrated significant gains in 2023, their distant results were a stark disappointment.
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Carlos Sainz (Williams) — Loser
Carlos Sainz was retired after contact with Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda damaged his Williams, ending a promising race. A 10-second penalty for a lunge on the young Kimi Antonelli compounded issues. Teammate Alex Albon also suffered from a delayed penalty call in qualifying, costing Q2. Williams failed to score for the first time in 2025.
