Summary

  • Piastri wins, Russell 2nd, Norris 3rd

  • Norris handed early five-second penalty for false start

  • Sainz out

  • Click on the play icon to listen to radio commentary

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. 'Norris rolled forward at the start'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Lando Norris actually rolled forward, he got into the correct position and lined his car up perfectly while they were all waiting on the grid, but before the lights he let his foot off the brake and the car moved forward and it was only once it had gone a foot or more [forward] he realised and then stopped the car.

  2. Lap 10/57

    The soft tyre is starting to struggle, says Lewis Hamilton's engineer. Pierre Gasly has a grip on sixth place but he's increasingly coming under pressure from the Red Bull of Max Verstappen.

  3. Get Involved

    #BBCF1

    Jeremiah Kariuki: If Lando Norris is penalized, only his team can help win or at least get P2. They can play team orders and recover lost time while serving the penalty.

  4. Lap 9/57

    Charles Leclerc informs Ferrari his "brakes are so inconsistent", adding it's "so annoying". Not much we can do now, comes the reply.

    Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz are duelling on track. The new Ferrari man get the better of the old Scuderia driver and takes hi eighth spot. Sainz is then caught by the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda. The Spaniard is just about holding on to the points places in 10th.

    Charles LeclercGetty Images

  5. Lap 8/57

    The motivational messages are coming in thick and fast for Lando Norris after that five-second penalty. His engineer calms any nerves by saying he can make up this deficit and challenge the Mercedes of George Russell.

    McLaren's Lando NorrisGetty Images

  6. Team radio - Gasly to Alpine

    "Leclerc is struggling a lot with the medium tyres."

  7. Five-second time penalty for Norris

    Lap 7/57

    Charles Leclerc is down in fourth and Pierre Gasly can see the Monegasque driver is struggling on those starting medium tyres.

    The penalty for Lando Norris is confirmed. Five-second time slap for the Briton for being out of position on the grid.

  8. Lap 6/57

    Kimi Antonelli overtake was on the inside of the Williams of Carlos Sainz, which then leaves the Spaniard vulnerable to the attack of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman complains he didn't get a car's width, but he completes the move anyway.

  9. 'Russell best of the rest'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Over the course of the weekend it has been George Russell who has generally been the best of the rest behind the two McLarens.

  10. Lap 5/57

    Lando Norris is now under investigation for that potential false start. A penalty is surely heading the McLaren driver's way.

    Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli makes a move and is up into sixth place, just as a radio message played to show Max Verstappen was on the case of Norris' wrong starting position.

    Lando Norris driving the McLaren F1 carGetty Images

  11. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Oscar Piastri is doing exactly what he needed to do in terms of getting away well at the start and breaking the DRS gap to George Russell.

  12. Lap 4/57

    So Lando Norris is looking at a potential penalty in Sakhir, but for the moment, he's clear of Charles Leclerc and sitting in the final podium place.

    The other Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton calls base to say his medium tyres are feeling the best...

  13. 'Norris has a chance to win this race'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Lando Norris is now third and has a chance to win this race.

    He struggles when the car is on the absolute limit in qualifying but there is no reason to think he can't be at least as quick as Oscar Piastri in the race.

  14. Lap 3/57

    The McLaren of Oscar Piastri is increasing his gap over George Russell lap by lap. The Aussie is 1.3 seconds clear as we reach the third lap of this Bahrain Grand Prix.

    That great start for Lando Norris could be for nothing, as the Briton has been noted by race control for a potential false start and being out of his grid spot.

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    Sho: That might be the best start I've ever seen Norris have

  16. Lap 2/57

    Oscar Piastri is eight tenths ahead of George Russell with his team-mate Lando Norris running in third spot. Kimi Antonelli also lost places at the start and is now in seventh behind Carlos Sainz's Williams. Lewis Hamilton stays ninth ad Yuki Tsunoda holds tight in tenths.

    Oliver Bearman has lifted his Haas all the way to P15 from last on the grid.

    Mercedes' George RussellGetty Images

  17. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It's a blistering start from Lando Norris, exactly what he and the McLaren team needed.

  18. Go! Go! Go!

    Lap 1/57

    And they're off!

    George Russell gets a great start and is soon alongside Oscar Piastri. The pair nearly touch as Russell locks up but the two manage to stay in position. Lando Norris has climbed from his P6 spot and is now in third place. Charles Leclerc has dropped to fourth.

    Piastri is now starting to peel away from the threat of the Mercedes.

    Oscar Piastri leads the Bahrain Grand PrixGetty Images

  19. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    There's so much to look forward to, everything you thought was dull a week ago, it should be the opposite here. It's a track where you can overtake and you've got a mixture of the grid with cars out of position.

  20. Here we go then. Last of the cars are reaching their grid positions...