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The first day of the 2025 F1 Bahrain GP is done and dusted, and we have a McLaren 1-2 as the team made a statement at the end of the day. The team has been the benchmark this season, but the gap was quite significant this time around.
Oscar Piastri had the fastest time at the end of FP2, around a tenth and a half faster than Lando Norris. In P3, we had George Russell, who was more than half a second slower than the McLaren duo.
The first two races have not seen the gap this big between the leaders and the chasing pack, and hence, it comes as a surprise. On Saturday, we have qualifying, and the manner in which the regulations have hurt wheel-to-wheel racing, it's going to be very important. With that being said, what can we expect in qualifying? Let's take a look.
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#5. Ferrari is a wildcard
It continues to be hard to pinpoint where Ferrari is on the pecking order. The team has traditionally had a strong car around Bahrain, but it's not necessarily getting the job done this time. On the final push lap on soft tires, both Leclerc and Hamilton were within touching distance of Piastri's lap time but completely fell away in the final sector.
Fuel loads are a variable for sure as well with the Italian team, and we could see them being second-fastest or fourth, depending on how they execute everything.
#4. The RB duo leads Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda's Friday was probably not as good as the one in Japan. He didn't have the pace of his teammate, but more than that, it appeared that he was running out of sync quite a few times. That's not ideal for anyone involved, and neither for Yuki.
At the F1 Bahrain GP, Tsunoda does not look as at ease with the Red Bull. With the Racing Bulls surging, it won't come as a surprise if Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar get the better of him in qualifying.
#3. The gaps to the front would not be as exaggerated
If we look at the gaps in the timesheets as compared to McLaren, it's a shocker for everyone involved. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris appear to have around half a second on the chasing pack, by the looks of it.
It's safe to say that the ability to keep the tires in the window has helped McLaren, but the gap seems exaggerated. We expect it to shrink a little in the F1 Bahrain GP qualifying.
#2. Max Verstappen will emerge as McLaren's closest challenger
Max Verstappen did not have a perfect lap in FP2, and hence, the potential is there. At the same time, there are overnight improvements that'll help, coupled with a better engine mode.
Looking at the manner in which the team is functioning, it might not come as a surprise if Verstappen becomes the closest challenger to the McLaren duo at the F1 Bahrain GP qualifying.
#1. Lando Norris secures pole position for the F1 Bahrain GP
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are the clear frontrunners again for the battle of pole position for the F1 Bahrain GP. It's hard to pick between the duo, as they have been so evenly matched this season.
This time around, however, we're going with Lando Norris. It's going to be very intense once again between the two, but we're backing Norris to nail that final lap and secure his 2nd pole position of the season.
