McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took a controlled, dominant victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix to close on team-mate Lando Norris in the world championship.
The Australian was serene in the lead, calmly keeping himself out of reach of his rivals, as Mercedes’ George Russell held off an assault from the second McLaren of Lando Norris for second.
Norris, fighting back from sixth on the grid and a five-second penalty for a false start, had a chance to pass Russell going into the final lap, but could not make it work.
But Russell could face an investigation for a rule infringement involving the DRS overtaking aid.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth, passed by Norris with eight laps to go, ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a lonely fifth.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen could only take sixth place from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the final lap, a week after his brilliant victory in Japan.
Gasly’s seventh secured the first points for Alpine this season, while Esteban Ocon drove an outstanding race in the Haas to take eighth after a heavy crash in qualifying left him 15th on the grid.
The second Haas of Oliver Bearman took 10th for the second race running, the two cars sandwiching the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda.
