Piastri dominates in Bahrain as Russell holds on to second

McLaren's Oscar Piastri took a controlled, ascendant triumph successful nan Bahrain Grand Prix to adjacent connected team-mate Lando Norris successful nan world championship.

The Australian was serene successful nan lead, calmly keeping himself retired of scope of his rivals, arsenic Mercedes' George Russell held disconnected an battle from nan 2nd McLaren of Lando Norris for second.

Norris, fighting backmost from sixth connected nan grid and a five-second punishment for a mendacious start, had a chance to walk Russell going into nan last lap, but could not make it work.

But Russell could look an investigation for a norm infringement involving nan DRS overtaking aid.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth, passed by Norris pinch 8 laps to go, up of team-mate Lewis Hamilton successful a lonely fifth.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen could only return sixth spot from Alpine's Pierre Gasly connected nan last lap, a week aft his brilliant triumph successful Japan.

The result, nan first clip McLaren person won nan location title of their Bahraini main shareholders, leaves Norris 3 points up of Piastri astatine nan caput of nan championship.

Verstappen, anonymous and uncompetitive, is 8 points disconnected nan lead successful third.

Piastri was ever favourite for triumph aft taking rod position, and he ne'er looked successful threat of losing nan title erstwhile he had retained nan lead astatine nan start.

Behind him, Norris moved up from sixth connected nan grid to 3rd connected nan first thigh down Piastri and Russell, pinch Leclerc moving 4th successful nan Ferrari.

But it soon became evident that Norris' beforehand wheels had been excessively acold guardant connected nan grid, and he was fixed a five-second penalty.

Despite his enforced longer pit stop, Norris managed not to suffer a position, but he was passed by Leclerc astatine astir one-third distance.

Ferrari had chosen a different tyre strategy to McLaren and Mercedes, starting connected nan mean tyre alternatively than nan softs of their rivals.

That allowed Leclerc to tally 7 laps longer earlier his first stop, giving him a grip advantage successful nan 2nd stint, and allowing nan Ferrari to walk nan McLaren astatine Turn Four connected thigh 25.

But nan advantage swung backmost to Norris erstwhile nan information car came retired connected thigh 32, soon aft half-distance, to let officials to clear debris from nan track.

Nearly each nan drivers stopped for tyres, and Russell, Leclerc and Norris came retired connected 3 different compounds - Russell connected softs, Leclerc connected hards and Norris connected mediums.

After a fewer laps of stasis, Norris eased up towards Leclerc. They battled for respective laps, and Norris accused Leclerc of forcing him disconnected nan way erstwhile he tried 1 move astir nan extracurricular of Turn Four.

But he fought backmost and yet made nan move instrumentality pinch 8 laps to go.

Norris past group disconnected aft Russell and was connected his tail going into nan last 2 laps.

It looked for illustration a move was on. But he possibly miscalculated by making a half-move into Turn One connected nan last lap.

It did not travel off, and it near him excessively acold down to situation nan Mercedes driver into Turn Four, securing 2nd for Russell.

Norris said: "A reliable race. I made excessively galore mistakes. A messy title from me. Disappointed not to bring location a one-two for McLaren."

Russell, already connected nan separator aft he was fixed soft tyres for nan last stint aft nan information car, spent nan last stint managing an electrical rumor that was causing systems failures successful nan car.

It affected nan brake-by-wire system, which besides prevents nan car recovering power from nan rear axle.

That meant he had to reset nan systems respective times a lap, which led to nan correction successful which he utilized nan DRS erstwhile he was not meant to. It came astir because he was not alert that nan back-up fastener successful mobility would run nan DRS astatine that time.

Behind nan Ferraris, Verstappen was ne'er a feature, nan Red Bull's deficiency of gait and equilibrium exposed connected this way that has specified a precocious request connected nan tyres.

Gasly's seventh secured nan first points for Alpine this season, while Esteban Ocon drove an outstanding title successful nan Haas to return eighth aft a dense clang successful qualifying near him 15th connected nan grid.

The 2nd Haas of Oliver Bearman took 10th for nan 2nd title running, nan 2 cars sandwiching nan Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda.