Oscar Piastri celebrates 50th race with win from pole in Bahrain
SAKHIR: McLaren’s Oscar Piastri celebrated his 50th Formula One race with a pole-to-flag win in Bahrain on Sunday that sent him second overall and three points behind championship leading teammate Lando Norris. The Australian also became the season’s first repeat winner in four races and ended reigning champions McLaren’s long wait for victory at their Bahraini owners’ home Sakhir circuit. Norris finished third, after lining up sixth on the grid and then having to fight back from a five-second penalty for a jumped start under the floodlights. Mercedes’ George Russell held off his fellow Briton for second in a tense battle over the closing laps but faced a stewards’ enquiry for allegedly using the drag reduction system outside the defined zone. “It’s been an incredible weekend starting with qualifying yesterday and finishing the job today in style is nice,” said Piastri, who won by 15.499 seconds despite a safety car period wiping out his initial lead. “It’s very important given our owners.
