McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is primed to shake up the Formula 1 title race, clinching pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

With teammate Lando Norris, the championship leader, starting sixth, and reigning champion Max Verstappen languishing in seventh, Piastri has a golden chance to seize control. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc joins him on the front row, bumped up after penalties hit Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who drop to third and fifth.

Piastri fended off a spirited Russell in qualifying, underscoring McLaren’s dominance in 2025. Norris, just one point ahead of Verstappen, admitted he’s stumped on fixes, joking his plan is to “go to sleep” and hope for race-day magic.

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Verstappen, fresh off a Japan win, grappled with brake issues and poor grip, leaving Red Bull puzzled. “We’re not sure what to expect,” he said.

Leclerc and 18-year-old Antonelli, who made history last week as the youngest to lead an F1 lap, are poised to capitalize on any slip-ups.

Lewis Hamilton, in his Ferrari debut season, faces pressure from ninth, while Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, starting 10th, eyes his first points for the team since November. With the race kicking off at 1500 GMT, Piastri’s pole sets the tone for a high-stakes showdown under Bahrain’s floodlights.

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