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. It’s never been a track that’s been kind to us, so it’s nice to have our first win here.”
Norris now has 77 points to Piastri’s 74, with McLaren on 151 in the constructors’ standings and Mercedes second on 93.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fourth and fifth, with the Italian team’s former boss Luca di Montezemolo the guest of honor waving the chequered flag.
Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen, who had been only a point behind Norris after winning in Japan last weekend, finished sixth with Pierre Gasly scoring Alpine’s first points of the campaign in seventh.
Esteban Ocon, who crashed heavily in qualifying, redeemed himself with eighth for Haas and Yuki Tsunoda delivered Red Bull’s first double points finish of the year in ninth.
The final point was secured for Haas by British rookie Oliver Bearman, who started last.
Oscar Piastri celebrates 50th race with win from pole in Bahrain
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Oscar Piastri celebrates 50th race with win from pole in Bahrain
- Piastri wins for McLaren with Norris third
- Australian now second overall and three points off lead
- Russell second for Mercedes
Liverpool on the up as new signings hit form, says Slot
- Hopes of retaining the Premier League title were high at the start of the season after Liverpool splashed out nearly $605 million on new signings
- But bar some bright moments from Hugo Ekitike, the new faces struggled in the opening months of the season
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes the Reds will only get better in the years to come as a huge outlay on young talent in the transfer market begins to bear fruit.
Hopes of retaining the Premier League title were high at the start of the season after Liverpool splashed out nearly £450 million ($605 million) on new signings.
But bar some bright moments from Hugo Ekitike, the new faces struggled in the opening months of the season.
Alexander Isak has been beset by injuries since his British transfer record £125 million move from Newcastle and will miss most of the rest of the campaign with a broken leg.
But Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have recently hit the form that saw them earn a move to Anfield during a 13-game unbeaten run for Slot’s men.
“If you look at the age of the signings, they will be better next season and the season after,” Slot said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth.
“We’ve spoken about Florian that he lacked goals and assists in the beginning but he was so close and even now he could almost double it with the chances he’s having or giving to his teammates.
“I can only see positives in this team in terms of progress but we have to adapt so many times in the season.
“We are already in a good place but this club will be a good place tomorrow and the day after and the day after.”
Liverpool’s chances of retaining the title are long gone with a 14-point gap to leaders Arsenal and their target switching to securing Champions League football next season.
Slot’s side sit fourth but only six points separate them from Brighton in 12th.
Liverpool also took a giant stride toward the Champions League last 16 with a 3-0 win at Marseille on Wednesday.
But the Dutchman does not expect to add to his squad in what remains of the January transfer window.
“That’s what I expect, yes,” he added on the prospect of no new signings this month.
“But as I always say, if there’s an opportunity in the market or we think we can strengthen, this club will try to do so, but at this moment in time I expect it to stay mainly the same.”
