Oscar Piastri led teammate Lando Norris as McLaren dominated FP2 in Bahrain, confirming what winter testing already suggested: they are the team to beat this weekend. George Russell rounded out the top three, while Ferrari showed flashes of pace—but not much more. Further back, Verstappen struggled, rookies soared, and Alonso reminded everyone he’s the most entertaining man on the grid… even without a steering wheel. Should be a walk in the park for McLaren here. If not—it’s completely on them.
Let’s break down a Friday session packed with chaos, comedy, and a worrying amount of sliding.
FP2 Classification – 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
| Pos | Driver | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Oscar Piastri | 1:30.505 | — |
| P2 | Lando Norris | 1:30.659 | +0.154 |
| P3 | George Russell | 1:31.032 | +0.527 |
| P4 | Charles Leclerc | 1:31.045 | +0.540 |
| P5 | Kimi Antonelli | 1:31.227 | +0.722 |
| P6 | Isack Hadjar | 1:31.238 | +0.733 |
| P7 | Max Verstappen | 1:31.330 | +0.825 |
| P8 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:31.576 | +1.071 |
| P9 | Oliver Bearman | 1:31.584 | +1.079 |
| P10 | Carlos Sainz | 1:31.623 | +1.118 |
McLaren: Sector 2 Supremacy, Sandbag Denial
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris weren’t just fast—they were comfortably clear of the rest. McLaren’s race pace on softs looked worryingly strong for everyone else. Still, Team Principal Andrea Stella downplayed it all, claiming the field is close. Sure Andrea, everyone knows you’re 4–5 tenths faster than the rest. This has the Toto Mercedes domination era feel. No matter what’s being said publicly, this weekend is McLaren’s to lose.
Fernando Alonso: Now With Optional Steering
In what might already be the highlight of the season, Fernando Alonso’s steering wheel came off mid-corner—and he casually reattached it while the car was still moving. In addition to his previous complaints of understeer and oversteer, his car now has no-steer. That said, with his experience, he didn’t crash. He didn’t even flinch. This is why he’s still here.
Hadjar and Antonelli: Rookie Report Turns Serious
Isack Hadjar finished P6—on medium tires—with a gap to the podium of just 0.206 seconds. And he did this on mediums. That’s significantly smaller than the expected tire delta. Not bad. Kimi Antonelli clocked in at P5, though still losing a few tenths in the middle sector. Still, both continue to build serious cases for permanent 2026 seats.
Red Bull: Sliding, Struggling, and Sim-bound
Max Verstappen finished P7 and sounded thoroughly unimpressed. Post-session, Helmut Marko admitted, “Too slow.” Horner followed up, saying it was “impossible” for Verstappen to replicate his Suzuka heroics here in Bahrain. The main issue? Rear tire temperatures. Both drivers were unable to keep the rear tire temps down, leading to sliding. This isn’t good for their chance, as that is basically as an admission that they’ll lose pace the longer the stints are. What does this mean? Overcutting will become much stronger. Could this be the pattern for hot races going forward? Still, don’t rule out a classic Red Bull comeback – they always seem to turn things around just in time for qualifying.
Ferrari: New Parts, Same Problems
Leclerc finished P4, but it wasn’t a happy result. Even hydration remains a problem. Charles says he doesn’t like the drink this year, so he doesn’t even bother drinking it. Lewis Hamilton struggled with dashboard issues and balance, but still managed P8. Notably, it looked like his dashboard wasn’t working and he was doing the laps blind.
“We’re just not fast enough,” he told Motorsport, despite the new upgrade package.
And so, the dream dies again. Don’t worry guys, next year is Ferrari’s year.