Oscar Piastri secured his second pole position of the season in a gripping qualifying session in Bahrain, finishing almost half a second ahead of his team-mate Lando Norris.

The current championship leader will start tomorrow’s race from sixth place — behind Pierre Gasly in the Alpine — something no one really saw coming. Let’s dive into the data and see where the phenomenal Piastri found the edge.

McLaren the favourites from the very start of the weekend

From the opening practice sessions, it was clear that McLaren were the favourites for pole. Both ‘papaya’ drivers topped FP1 and FP2, sending an early message that they would be the team to beat.

In FP2 in particular, it became evident just how strong the MCL39 is in slow and medium-speed corners. That’s where they were gaining significant time over the competition. While their high-downforce setup may cost them top speed on the straights, Bahrain is a great example of a track where, despite having three relatively long straights, that trade-off still pays off.

Norris’s mistake in S1 and Piastri’s mega lap

Bahrain is a circuit with very high track evolution, which is why drivers left their fastest laps as late as possible. That means even the smallest error can ruin a lap – and that’s exactly what happened to Norris.

A wheelspin moment in Turn 1 cost him time that he couldn’t recover later in the lap. As a result, the Brit will start from P6 – his worst qualifying result of the season so far. And it’s not the first time Norris has missed the opportunity to extract the car’s full potential. Let’s not forget the Chinese GP qualifying, where he was outqualified by Russell in the Mercedes.

Norris had the benefit of a tow on the main straight, as visible in his higher top speed before Turn 1 in the image above. However, a poor exit through Turns 1 and 2 cost him around three-tenths to his team-mate.

Piastri maintained his advantage through the rest of the lap, particularly in Turns 8 and 10 – arguably the most challenging corners on the circuit, where Norris lost even more time.

After the session, the British driver didn’t hide his frustration, admitting that it felt like he’d never driven a Formula 1 car before.

Piastri, on the other hand, confirmed what everyone saw on track – a truly brilliant lap at the end of Q3. His confidence and, above all, composure were evident, allowing him to piece together a lap with barely a single error, precisely when it mattered most. The ideal lap time chart shows significantly bigger gaps than usual, reinforcing that this was no ordinary lap.

What’s even more fascinating is the fact that Piastri had the lowest top speed of any driver during his fastest lap. This was the result of a different aerodynamic setup that perfectly suits the MCL39.

More key talking points after Bahrain GP qualifying

👉 Lewis Hamilton ‘really sorry’ to Ferrari as untelevised radio message surfaces

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

What kind of race can we expect from McLaren tomorrow?

For Piastri, the mission will be crystal clear – keep the lead through the first two corners, stay in clean air, and bring it home. But it won’t be easy. The run to Turn 1 in Bahrain is long, and the risk of losing places off the line is very real.

Norris, meanwhile, has several cars ahead of him, which will undoubtedly impact his car’s performance and tyre management. Let’s not forget tomorrow’s race will be hot – very hot – which adds extra concern when it comes to cooling the car, tyres, and brakes. While McLaren likely holds the strongest race pace, the big unknown will be how the MCL38 behaves in dirty air.

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