Bahrain GP 2025: 5 Big Storylines to watch this weekend

NEW DELHI: Bahrain GP 2025 marks the middle leg of Formula 1’s first triple-header of the season, bringing teams back to familiar territory — the very circuit where pre-season testing unfolded. But despite that familiarity, the stakes are sky-high, and the storylines heading into Sakhir are as gripping as ever.

Title Fight Heats Up Among Four Contenders

• The Japanese Grand Prix wasn’t a thriller, but it played a crucial role in tightening the championship.
• Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the season in Suzuka, edging closer to Lando Norris in the standings — the pair are now separated by just 1 point.
• Norris’ McLaren looks to be the quickest car on the grid, but not by a dominant margin — allowing Verstappen to capitalize, especially with standout performances in Qualifying.
• The 2025 season has seen four different winners from four race events (including Sprints), and notably, all four started from pole position, emphasizing the importance of clean air.
• Oscar Piastri, the other race winner, trails the championship lead by 13 points, after finishing right behind Norris in Japan.
• George Russell is also in the mix, sitting four points behind Piastri, having recovered to fifth in Suzuka despite a small Qualifying mistake.
• At least four drivers have legitimate title aspirations early in this 24-race marathon.

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Tsunoda & Lawson Aim to Make Their Mark

• One of the biggest stories at Suzuka was Red Bull’s driver swap, with Yuki Tsunoda returning to the team and Liam Lawson stepping aside after just two rounds.
• Both drivers managed the situation professionally, but struggled in Qualifying — Tsunoda failed to escape Q2, finishing just behind Lawson.
• Neither scored points in Japan, although Tsunoda did manage to move forward during the race, while Lawson slipped down to 17th.
• With no time to reset during the triple-header, Bahrain offers a valuable chance for both drivers to get comfortable with their new machinery.
• The Bahrain International Circuit is a track they both know well from testing and is less punishing than Suzuka — a golden opportunity to build momentum.
• With Jeddah’s high-speed street layout up next, this weekend is a crucial window to prove themselves.

Will the Peaking Order Shift Again?

• Bahrain will serve as a vital performance checkpoint, allowing comparisons with what teams showed in February.
• Few would have predicted Verstappen’s win in Japan, but Bahrain could see another reshuffle, especially with upgrades expected across multiple teams.
• Mercedes showed encouraging pace during testing in Bahrain and will be eager to replicate that form under race conditions.
• Ferrari also remains a contender — Charles Leclerc qualified fourth in Japan and maintained that position during the race, staying closer to the winner than he was at the same venue a year ago.
• Ferrari was strong in Bahrain last year, offering a reference point for evaluating how the team has progressed or regressed.
• It’s also a key weekend to evaluate midfield teams like Williams and Alpine, who showed potential in testing, as well as Racing Bulls and Haas, who may have made gains since February.
• With multiple teams capable of strong results, Bahrain could reshape the competitive order once again.

Rookie Class Returns to Familiar Ground

• The rookie class of 2025 — including Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, and Jack Doohan — will feel more at home in Bahrain than at recent venues.
• Circuits like Melbourne, Shanghai, and Suzuka are notoriously challenging for newcomers, but Bahrain has long featured in junior categories and hosted this year’s pre-season F1 testing.
• This means the rookies have track time in their current F1 machinery, potentially narrowing the gap to more experienced drivers.
• All eyes will be on Jack Doohan, who had a heavy crash last Friday in Japan but showed strong pace relative to teammate Pierre Gasly.
• Doohan will aim to complete a clean weekend and help Alpine score their first points of the season.
• Meanwhile, Antonelli, Hadjar, and Bearman arrive in high spirits after strong outings in Japan, looking to build on that momentum.

FP1 Opens the Door for Young Drivers

• A new rule in 2025 requires teams to give more FP1 track time to rookies with fewer than two Grand Prix starts.
• As a result, Bahrain will feature an exciting roster of young talent during Friday’s FP1 session.
• Ryo Hirakawa, who drove for Alpine in Japan, will now drive for Haas, having impressed during last year’s Abu Dhabi test.
• Several other teams are also bringing rookies into FP1:
  • Dino Beganovic – Ferrari
  • Fred Vesti – Mercedes
  • Felipe Drugovich – Aston Martin
  • Ayumu Iwasa – Red Bull
  • Luke Browning – Williams
• Bahrain’s schedule makes it ideal to run rookies in FP1 — FP1 and FP3 take place in hot, unrepresentative daytime conditions, while FP2 and Qualifying are held in the cooler twilight.
• This setup allows teams to experiment with rookies without compromising race preparation, and Bahrain’s relatively forgiving layout makes it a safe venue for new drivers to find their feet.

With three races behind us, the Bahrain GP 2025 arrives at a crucial juncture in the season. A tense title battle, rising rookies, mid-grid surprises, and evolving team dynamics promise a gripping weekend. Whether it’s a new name atop the podium or a game-changing upgrade, the desert skies of Sakhir are ready to reveal F1’s next chapter.