Piastri secures pole position for 50th Grand Prix start in Bahrain

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Oscar Piastri expressed his delight after securing pole position for what will be his milestone 50th Grand Prix start in Bahrain. The Australian showcased consistent promise throughout the weekend’s practice sessions, culminating in a standout performance during Qualifying.

McLaren demonstrated commanding form on both Friday and Saturday in Sakhir, with Lando Norris topping the timesheets in FP1 and Piastri leading in FP2 and FP3.

During Qualifying, despite strong performances from both McLaren drivers, Norris secured P6 while Piastri stormed to pole with a final effort of 1m 29.841s, two-tenths clear of Mercedes’ George Russell in second place.

Reflecting on the session, Piastri revealed his satisfaction with the car’s performance. "I felt confident out there pretty much all weekend," the 24-year-old said. “FP1 was an experience for us all, I think – it felt more like a rally car than an F1 car, but from then on I’ve felt really comfortable with the car.”

"[In] FP3 we had good pace. [In] Qualifying the others caught up a little bit closer than what I wanted, but [I] still delivered the laps when it mattered which was the most important thing, so [I’m] very, very happy."

Addressing whether Norris’ difficulties in Qualifying might give him a clearer start on Sunday, Piastri cautiously replied, “Let’s see, I’ve got to get to Turn 1 first so let’s see what happens. [It] felt like I’ve been comfortable all weekend, and there’s no better place to start than on pole. [I] can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given me and I’m excited for the race tomorrow.”

This achievement marks Piastri’s second pole position of the season, following his debut career pole in China, which he converted into a victory. The promising result sets the stage for an exciting race as Piastri looks to capitalize on his strong start.

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