In Bahrain to get back to the front
Max Verstappen’s masterpiece at the recent Japanese GP overturned general expectations of a possible McLaren win at Suzuka, although the team still wrapped up the weekend with both drivers on the podium. In a race finale marked by speculation over a possible position swap between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — even though the idea was never mentioned over team radio — the Woking-based team now heads to Sakhir for the Bahrain GP while still leading both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.
Every point matters
In the latter, despite just a one-point lead over Max Verstappen, Lando Norris remains at the top. The Brit will aim to strengthen his position in the first night race of the season, which could bring him his second win of the championship — and his first on the desert circuit in Bahrain: “I’m excited to race here this weekend,” he commented. “It’s the first night race of the season, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in different conditions from what we’ve had so far. We’re on a good run with two double podiums in a row. It’s still early in the season, but we can already see that every point counts, and that’s the goal we’ll keep chasing: a fun race and more points in the bag. Let’s go.”
Motivation in Bahrain
A brief statement also came from Oscar Piastri, who, in addition to his win in China at the Shanghai circuit, also took his first career pole position there. After a not entirely satisfying weekend, the Australian will now try to fully exploit the potential of the McLaren MCL39 single-seater as he targets a second win of the 2025 Formula 1 season: “So far, it’s been three very encouraging race weekends in 2025. I’ve felt like I’ve had really strong pace and I’m bringing real momentum with me to Bahrain. The car feels fantastic, so credit to the team for the hard work. I can’t wait to get going on track.
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