The Bahrain Grand Prix is heating up as McLaren asserts dominance in practice sessions, leaving rivals scrambling to catch up.
On Friday, April 11, 2025, McLaren showcased their formidable speed at the Bahrain International Circuit during the second practice session, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finishing one-two. Piastri clocked an impressive lap time of 1m 30.505s, just 0.154 seconds ahead of Norris, signaling McLaren's intent as they aim for victory in the fourth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
As the sun set and the floodlights illuminated the track, the conditions became more favorable for fast laps. George Russell from Mercedes trailed in third, over half a second behind the McLaren duo, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finishing fourth at 1m 31.054s. The session's results left many questioning the pace of the other teams, particularly Red Bull, which saw Max Verstappen only managing seventh place, nearly a second off the pace.
Verstappen expressed his frustrations post-session, stating, "We’re just too slow basically every lap, and it was honestly not a lot of fun out there in the long run." He further lamented the significant gap between his performance and that of McLaren, describing it as a “massive gap.” Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen's teammate, struggled to find pace, finishing in 18th place.
The day began with Free Practice 1 held in the sweltering mid-afternoon heat, where conditions were challenging due to track temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls managed to secure eighth place during this session, only to fall to 12th in Free Practice 2, where he admitted to making mistakes that hindered his performance.
Lawson remarked, "FP1, track conditions were an absolute disaster. I don’t think I’ve ever driven such a difficult session, to be honest." He noted that while Free Practice 2 was tricky, he believed the car was fundamentally in a good place, suggesting that the team would focus on fine-tuning ahead of qualifying.
Fernando Alonso faced his own challenges during the practice sessions, experiencing a steering wheel issue that led to it being dislodged while on track. The two-time world champion reported that he struggled with steering and the computer functions on the wheel, requiring his Aston Martin team to make quick repairs. Alonso's mishap added to the drama of the day, as he was forced to pit to replace the steering wheel.
As the weekend progresses, teams are gearing up for Free Practice 3, which begins at 22:30 AEST on April 12, followed by qualifying at 02:00 AEST on Sunday, April 13. The stakes are high as teams aim to secure favorable positions ahead of the race.
McLaren's commanding performance has sparked discussions among competitors, with Russell asserting that McLaren should be the favorites for the weekend. He stated, "We expected McLaren to be a big step ahead here and we saw that today." Norris, however, downplayed the significance of the timesheets, suggesting that rivals may not have turned their engines up to full power during the practice sessions.
Despite the apparent gap, Norris remains cautious, insisting that the competition is still fierce. He commented, "Everyone just looks at the timesheets; they have no idea on the information on who turns up the engine." This sentiment was echoed by Piastri, who acknowledged the strong one-lap pace but anticipated that other teams would find more performance as qualifying approaches.
The Bahrain Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race, with McLaren looking to capitalize on their current form while their rivals scramble to close the gap. As teams prepare for the crucial qualifying session, all eyes will be on the performance of the cars under the lights, with tire degradation and race pace expected to play significant roles in the outcome.
With the weekend's action just getting started, fans can look forward to a thrilling showdown as the teams battle for supremacy in one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar.
