Piastri snatches Bahrain pole ahead of Russell and Leclerc

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stunned the grid by grabbing pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, edging out Mercedes’ George Russell. Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris could only manage sixth on the grid.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who trails Norris by just one point in the championship standings, will start seventh, one spot behind the McLaren driver.

OSCAR PIASTRI TAKES POLE IN BAHRAIN! 💪

📻 “Yeah baby!” #F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/jthj3f5H8x

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Oscar Piastri leads another McLaren 1-2 in Chinese Grand Prix

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It was a tough session for Lewis Hamilton, who could only qualify ninth in the Ferrari, with his teammate Charles Leclerc securing a strong third place. Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed by slotting into fourth.

Pierre Gasly delivered a standout performance for Alpine to take fifth, while Williams’ Carlos Sainz qualified eighth. Yuki Tsunoda, driving the second Red Bull, rounded out the top ten.