1 week Ago
Bahrain GP (via Getty Images) As the sun dipped below the horizon at the Bahrain International Circuit , the Formula 1 field was already bubbling. Friday practice brought a mix of heat, high drama, and surprise pace setters, with McLaren looking like the early favorites going into Saturday's qualifying session. Here’s a look at what the teams had to say about Bahrain’s practice session.
McLaren on fire: Oscar Piastri shocks, Lando Norris right behind FP2 Highlights | 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Oscar Piastri took the headlines in FP2 with a scorching 1:30.505 lap to lead the timesheets, outpacing teammate Lando Norris by a mere tenth. After a chaotic FP1, the Australian redeemed himself in fine style and appears on song for a possible front-row battle.
“Friday done. Pretty tricky conditions out there today, especially in FP1, but I think it’s been a good day overall. The pace looked strong in FP2, and we’ve learnt a lot.
We’ll have a look at what went well and what we can do better before turning our attention to qualifying tomorrow afternoon.” Oscar Piastri said. Lando Norris, the fastest in the previous session, described it as a ‘reasonable day’ in dodgy heat, which suggested a car that was potentially more racing-curtailored than it had been in pre-season.
Mercedes: Chasing solid George Russell was third in FP2, looking promising, particularly through the slower corners, but conceded that McLaren has the upper hand. “I think it’s going to be close between ourselves, Ferrari and the Red Bulls. It is hard to say with confidence, but we saw both teams performing strongly at different points throughout the day.
I definitely feel, unlike the last three races, this won’t be dominated by Qualifying – this weekend is going to be dominated by race pace and by tyre degradation. Of course, you want to have a good qualifying, but the race is where the action will be.” George Russell remarked.
Kimi Antonelli’s day was mixed. A water pressure issue limited his FP1 running, but the Italian rookie impressed in FP2 with a strong P5 showing. Ferrari searching for grip Ferrari was a step behind on Friday.
Charles Leclerc, after sitting out FP1, ended FP2 in P4 but half a second adrift from the McLarens. “The temperatures are so much higher than during testing here, so FP2 was tricky. The feeling in the car is completely different, and we have to adjust the car to suit it.
We will work on that tonight and try to optimise the setup. I’m trying to push in a direction that will allow me to extract the most out of the car for my driving style. With our competitors ahead of us by quite a bit, I’m motivated to close that gap as soon as possible,” Charles Leclerc said.
Lewis Hamilton – trying out a new floor – sounded exasperated in FP1 but found his rhythm in P8 in FP2. He mentioned the difficult heat and low grip levels as major concerns. Red Bull playing catch-up In a rare sight, Max Verstappen wasn't close to the front.
With Ayumu Iwasa filling his seat for FP1, the Dutchman had minimal track time and couldn't get grip in FP2, ending P7 “It was a more difficult session today, although it was a shorter day for me, I had limiting running time as Ayumu was in the car for FP1. It took a few laps to get into it, the balance wasn't too bad, but we were struggling a lot with the grip. As a Team, we had a bit of a different approach to our Friday than our competitors, but the gap is quite big at the moment.
We have quite a bit of work to do also in the long run and we're hoping that tomorrow is more fun,” Max Verstappen said. Yuki Tsunoda had a chaotic day – on and off the track – capped off by communication issues with his engineer and a P18 finish. Williams: Promising but scrappy Alex Albon showed speed early, but his day included two separate steward investigations.
After some drama, he ended FP2 in P11, just outside the top 10. Also read: Bahrain GP FP2 Recap: Max Verstappen upset as McLaren sweep the board What’s next: Qualifying day The teams now face a long night of analysis and setup tweaks. With the track evolving rapidly and the midfield tighter than ever, the fight for pole is wide open.
Will McLaren convert their Friday dominance into a front-row lockout? Will Red Bull be able to come back and ruin the party? And will Ferrari or Mercedes discover that extra tenth they so desperately require? One thing is certain: Bahrain Qualifying is going to be an absolute scorcher. Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India , including match schedules , team squads , points table and IPL live score for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap .
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