This is the third time with a four-man Grand Prix, and McLaren will start at pole position this Formula 1 season.
The second time this year is Oscar Piastri, which starts in advance when Bahrain Grampurin begins on Sunday.
Piastri and teammate Rand Norris were once again the strongest throughout the week of practice, but it was Piastri who took the pole position before George Russell. As for Norris, he slid sixth as Q3 approached the end, looking for answers after a qualified performance he “struggles.”
“[It] I felt comfortable all weekend and there is no better place to start than Paul. [I] I can't thank the team enough for the car they gave me. I'm excited for the race tomorrow,” Piastri said after qualifying.
Russell qualified second, but he doesn't start there. Russell and teammate Kimi Antoneri were hit by a first-place grid penalty after qualifying. Mercedes sent both drivers into the highway lanes at pitrow after Esteban Ocon struck in the second quarter, violating the race director's memo.
Russell is now in third place, while Antonelli, who has now in fourth place, will drop to fifth place.
The interim starting grid for Bahrain Granpurin for 2025 is as follows:
Bahrain Granpurin Provisional Grid
| line | position | driver | team | position | driver | team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| line | position | driver | team | position | driver | team |
| Line 1 | 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| Line 2 | 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 4 | Pierre Guthry | Takayama |
| Line 3 | 5 | You Antoneri | Mercedes | 6 | Rand Norris | McLaren |
| Line 4 | 7 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 8 | Carlos Sine Jr. | Williams |
| Line 5 | 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 10 | Snow and Horn | Red Bull |
| Line 6 | 11 | Jack Doohn | Takayama | 12 | Isack Hadjar | vcarb |
| Line 7 | 13 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 14 | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| Line 8 | 15 | Alex Albon | Williams | 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber |
| Line 9 | 17 | Liam Lawson | vcarb | 18 | Gabriel Boltreto | Sauber |
| Line 10 | 19 | Reims walks | Aston Martin | 20 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
