Oscar Piastri led a commanding McLaren one-two during Friday practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, edging teammate Lando Norris by 0.154 seconds.
Mercedes’ George Russell was third fastest, 0.527 seconds behind Piastri, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc closely trailing in fourth.
Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured fifth place, followed by Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Briton Oliver Bearman rounded out the top ten in the Haas, ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz.
McLaren’s long-run pace also emerged as a key advantage, with the team outshining competitors Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari on the Sakhir International Circuit.
The sessions were smooth and incident-free, with teams already familiar with the track following pre-season testing.
McLaren’s dominance carried over from the first practice session earlier in the day, where Norris topped the charts ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, as six teams tested young drivers in their cars.
