Oscar Piastri tops off commanding victory with DHL Fastest Lap

The fourth Grand Prix of the 2025 season took place in a desert setting. Just one short week after coping with the special challenges of Suzuka, the Formula 1 contestants had to prove themselves again in Bahrain. The heat and the aggressive surface of the Bahrain International Circuit put cars and drivers to a severe test.

It was already obvious after the practice sessions, that victory was heading McLaren’s way. Oscar Piastri and the MCL39 in particular proved to be an unbeatable combination in Bahrain. Starting from pole position, the Australian had the upper hand in Turn 1 and was able to pull away quickly from the pack. Although his tires were by no means exempt from the punishing track conditions, Piastri’s lead remained unchallenged. With Mercedes driver George Russell as his closest pursuer, Piastri seemed to be able to dictate the pace with ease.

After 32 of 57 laps, debris on the track brought out the safety car. The majority of the drivers seized this opportunity to come in for a second tire change. The safety car turned off into the pit lane on lap 35. Immediately after the restart, Piastri set the DHL Fastest Race Lap with a time of 1:35.14 minutes, thereby further widening the gap to the rest of the field. From this point, he cruised to victory in his 50th Grand Prix.

"I can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given us," said Piastri appreciatively. "Obviously the car is in a great place. It still has its moments where it bites, but for a lot of the time it’s an incredible car to drive and clearly very quick." And the evidence for that is in his DHL Fastest Lap.