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The 2025 F1 Bahrain GP was a massive relief from what we had in Japan, as there were battles up and down the field. There was, however, one thing that was never in question, the fact that Oscar Piastri was going to win the race.
The Australian's win was never in doubt, and once he nailed the start, it became even more of a certainty. In P2 we had George Russell putting together a stunning drive with Lando Norris in P3. We had Charles Leclerc in P4, just bumped off the podium by Norris late in the race.
The race was an impressive test and a welcome change from what we'd become accustomed to in Japan, as wheel-to-wheel action was certainly a possibility this time around. With that being said, how did every driver fare in the F1 Bahrain GP? Let's take a look.
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Criteria
- Performance in both qualifying and races is judged.
- Results achieved compared to the potential of the car.
- Mistakes made over the weekend.
- Relative performance against teammate.
2025 F1 Bahrain GP: Rating the drivers
McLaren
Lando Norris
Rating: 6
Not the best one for Lando. He comes home in P3, but it should have been better. In Oscar Piastri, he does have a competent title rival, but the only person who is hurting Lando at this stage is, well, Lando.
Oscar Piastri
Rating: 10
This is what we call a statement. The F1 Bahrain GP saw Oscar Piastri level up once again as the Australian driver nailed qualifying, then went into the race to nail the first lap, and from that point onwards, it was all about management. Oscar Piastri had a car under him, which is fast for sure, but it is quite clear that he knows what the stakes are and is making the difference already.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
Rating: 9.5
Charles Leclerc is being the leader that Ferrari needs, but the question is now an entirely different one. Could the team propel the driver to the top? The answer to that question might not be yes, if the F1 Bahrain GP is anything to go by. Why 9.5 and not 10? Maybe the driver could have pushed George Russell more in the second stint.
Lewis Hamilton
Rating: 6
Lewis Hamilton cut a sorry figure once again after qualifying, and it almost appeared as if the driver felt resigned to the inability to extract the most in qualifying. It's still early days for Hamilton at Ferrari, but the resigned look was a bit surprising.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen
Rating: 8
In all fairness, the result was a reflection of the car and the team more than the driver. A better result than what Max Verstappen achieved was arguably not possible this time around. With that being said, it wasn't the normal flawless weekend that we expect from the Dutch driver.
He had a bad start, something that was rare, especially when the team and the driver were performing at their peak. The pitstops weren't great, but getting stuck behind the Haas of Esteban Ocon was something that potentially hurt the driver at the Bahrain GP.
Yuki Tsunoda
Rating: 7
A positive weekend for Yuki. The Japanese driver now has a point next to his name as a Red Bull driver, and compared to his predecessors, this is a step in the right direction. He's more or less where Red Bull wants him compared to Max, and that's just brilliant for the driver and the team.
Mercedes
George Russell
Rating: 10
At this stage in F1, George Russell is neck and neck with Max Verstappen when it comes to making the most of the car irrespective of the distractions. The F1 Bahrain GP was the same as the Mercedes driver secured a P2 finish. What were some of his shortcomings during the weekend? None, it was nearly perfect.
Kimi Antonelli
Rating: 7
A bit of a humbling weekend for Kimi. The driver was more or less on par with his teammate, but what seemingly hurt him was the strategy that left him boxed to a certain extent. That overtake on Max Verstappen was a good one, though.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso
Rating: 8
The F1 Bahrain GP showed the impossible task Alonso had in front of him when he dragged that Aston Martin into Q2 on Saturday. The car is in poor shape at this stage, and one has to wonder how much restraint the Spaniard is being forced to exercise within the team.
Lance Stroll
Rating: 6
The Canadian was a step behind his teammate throughout the race weekend. It does appear that we are back to business as usual at Aston Martin with both drivers performing at their expected levels.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly
Rating: 10
A beautiful weekend from Pierre Gasly as he extracted every bit of performance from the car. Alpine was strong this weekend at the F1 Bahrain GP, and the French driver emerged as the leader of the midfield.
Jack Doohan
Rating: 6
The Australian would be a bit angry and a bit disappointed. The late race safety car hurt him, but more than that, it was the qualifying lap on Saturday. The kid is fast for sure, he just needs to put a weekend together.
Haas
Esteban Ocon
Rating: 8
The weekend started with David Coulthard suggesting that Esteban Ocon was feeling the heat because Ollie Bearman had proven to be a fast teammate. It ended with Haas realizing how big of an asset Ocon is to the team.
The American team is the leading midfield unit after the F1 Bahrain GP, and a chunk of credit goes to the French driver. He would, however, be hoping to erase that massive qualifying crash out of his memory.
Ollie Bearman
Rating: 7
The Brit is a fast driver, and he has shown that he can bring the results when needed. This was precisely what he did in the car after a poor qualifying. Ollie Bearman is a talent for sure, but he will take some time to mature into a real deal that can deliver consistently.
Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson
Rating: 6
Lawson is still getting his feet under the table at Racing Bulls. The F1 Bahrain GP wasn't a bad one per se from the driver. He's just missing the final tenth that Isack Hadjar appears to have for now but should come as time elapses.
Isack Hadjar
Rating: 7
A bit of a subdued F1 Bahrain GP for Hadjar this time around. The French driver is good, but he would leave the weekend slightly disappointed.
Williams
Alex Albon
Rating: 6
Alex Albon was slightly unlucky to get eliminated in Q1 in the F1 Bahrain GP. There was frustration in the race as well, but overall the execution was just not up to the mark, and that's what hurt the team.
Carlos Sainz
Rating: 5.5
Alex Albon was slightly unlucky to get eliminated in Q1. There was frustration in the race as well, but overall the execution was just not up to the mark, and that's what hurt the team.
Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg
Rating: 8
How Nico Hulkenberg managed to drag the Sauber to P13 is hard to make sense of, especially if we look at how poor the car is in race trim. The German is adding value to that team as best as he can, but one has to wonder what Sauber can do if this is the level of the car for this season and the one up next.
Gabriel Bortoleto
Rating: 6
Bortoleto continues to get things in his stride. The young rookie has the perfect benchmark in Nico Hulkenberg and the F1 Bahrain GP showed how big a scope there is for young Gabriel to learn.
