Australian pilot, who had won pole position the day before, took the lead at the first curve, and controlled the race from start to finish, losing leadership only during a few tire exchanges
The Australian pilot (McLaren) won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, the fourth stage of the 24th of the season while his teammate, the Briton Lando Norris, kept the World Cup lead by finishing the race in third place. “It was an amazing weekend. With yesterday’s classification, we finished work today, and I can never thank my team enough for giving me this amazing car,” celebrated Piostri.
Also British George Russell (Mercedes) ended second between the two orange cars. Monegasco Charles Leclerc believed he could give Ferrari his first podium of the season, but was surpassed by Norris with five laps to the end of the race.
After the monotonous Japan Grand Prix in Suzuka last Sunday, the Night Race on the Sakhir Circuit, a track located between the Dunes of the Bahrain Desert, offered a real show.
From pole to the checkered flag
The start was decisive: Pistri, who had won pole position the day before, took the lead in the first curve. He then controlled the race from start to finish, losing leadership only for a few moments during tire exchanges.
George Russell, who had dropped from the second row, surpassed Charles Leclerc and immediately put himself in hunting the leader. He also maintained his position until the end of the 57 laps. “I had difficulty keeping Lando behind me. If there was one more return, I think he would have surpassed me,” said the British Mercedes pilot. “For us, this is our third podium in four races. It’s fantastic and gives us confidence for the future.”
Norris, only the sixth in the classification, had a spectacular start and gained three positions even before the second curve. The loser at the start was Leclerc, who started the race in the front row and quickly fell to fourth position.
While the first two were not exceeded on the track, the fighting for the podium was fierce. With a set of newer tires, Leclerc surpassed Norris on lap 25 and believed that he would finally win the podium that Scuderia had been looking for since the beginning of the season.
But Norris, whose McLaren is superior to Ferrari, resumed the position at five turns from the end. Behind him came two world champions, British Lewis Hamilton and Dutchman Max Verstappen, fifth and sixth, respectively. In seventh, the Frenchman Pierre Gasly gave Alpine his first points of the season. The French team was the only one after three races, which had not yet punctuated.
Bortoleto ends in 19th
His compatriot Steban Ocon (Haas), Japanese Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) and British Oliver Bearman (also from Haas) completed the top 10. Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) was away from the 16th, and his compatriot Carlos Sainz was even worse, having to leave with his Williams.
The Brazilian (Sauber) was the last of the 19 pilots to finish the race. After four races and before the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix next weekend, Norris maintains the 77 -point championship leadership, three more than Pistri, while Verstappen has 69 and is threatened by Russell, fourth with 63 points.
At the World Cup, McLaren expands the advantage over Mercedes (151 points against 93), while Red Bull is 71 and Ferrari 57.
Formula 1 Bahrain GP classification:
1. Oscar Pistri (Aus/McLaren-Mercedes) The 308,238 km in 1h 35: 39,435
2. George Russell (Gbr / Mercedes) to 15.499
3. Lando Norris (GBR / McLaren-Mercedes) à 16,273
4. Charles Leclerc (Mon/Ferrari) at 19,679
5. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari) at 27,993
6. Max Verstappen (HOL/Red Bull) à 34.395
7. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault) at 36.002
8. Esteban OCON (FRA / Haas-Ferrari) to 44.244
9. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN / Red Bull) to 45.061
10. Oliver Bearan (GBR/Haas-Frier) at 47,594
11. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA / Mercedes) to 48.016
12. Alexander Albon (Tai/Williams-Mercedes) at 48,839
13. Jack Doohan (Aus/Alpine-Renault) at 57,806
14. Nico Hülkenberg (Ale/Sauber-Ferrari) à 53.472
15. Isack Hadjar (FRA/Racing Bulls-Red Bull) à 56.314
16. Fernando Alonso (Esp/Aston Martin-Mercedes) at 1: 00.340
17. Liam Lawson.
18. Lance Stroll (Can / Aston Martin-Mercedes to 1: 05.489
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (bra/sauber-ferrari) at 1: 06.872
Best Race Return
Oscar Pistri (Aus/McLaren-Mercedes) 1: 35.140 on the 57th round (average: 204,785 km/h)
Abandonment
Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Williams-Mercedes): Mechanical Problem in the 51st round
World Pilots
1. Lando Norris (GBR) 77 points
2. Oscar Plastri (AUS) 74
3. Max Verstappen (HOL) 69
4. George Russell (GBR) 63
5. Charles Leclerc (my) 32
6. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA) 30
7. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 25
8. Alexander Albon (THA) 18
9. ESTEBAN OCON (FR) 14
10. Lance Stroll (CAN) 10
11. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 6
12. Nico Hülkenberg (but) 6
13. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 6
14. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 5
15. Isack Hadjar (FRA) 4
16. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 1
17. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 0
18. Jack Doohan (from) 0
19. Liam Lawson (NZL) 0
20. Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA) 0
World of builders
1. McLaren-Mercedes 151 points
2. Mercedes 93
3. Red Bull 71
4. Ferrari 57
5. Haas-Ferrari 20
6. Williams-Mercedes 19
7. Aston Martin-Mercedes 10
8. Racing Bulls-Red Bull 7
9. Alpine-Renault 6
10. Sauber-Ferrari 6
*With information from AFP
Posted by Carolina Ferreira
