Oscar Piastri took center stage in Bahrain’s second free practice session on Friday night, topping the times with a searing 1:30.505 — and fronting a McLaren 1-2 that surprised the paddock from top to bottom – keeping in mind their performance their history at this track. In the cooler, more representative conditions of the evening lights, the Australian was unbeatable as competitors couldn’t keep pace.

All Out Early as Teams Chase Night Data

No sooner had the pit exit light turned green than a procession of cars streamed out — keen to maximize every second of this crucial session. FP3 will be held in the daytime heat, so this was the only real chance for teams to fine-tune qualifying and race setups.

Charles Leclerc led the field out onto the track, with rookie Ollie Bearman, in a Haas, following. Tire choices were divided along the grid: McLaren and Pierre Gasly started on hards, whilst Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes prospect Kimi Antonelli were bold on softs. Most of the remainder, such as Leclerc and Hadjar, opted for mediums.

Ride Problems, Lock-Ups & Unusual Glitches

Complaints over team radios were made not long after arriving. Verstappen, who returned to the cockpit after sitting out FP1, was the first to gripe:

“The ride is very bad,”

he complained, wrestling with bouncing. Meanwhile, Alonso suffered a steering wheel failure that led Aston Martin to swap out the entire column mid-session.

Lando Norris flat-spotted his tires under a heavy lock-up and suffered from vibration throughout, and Oscar Piastri and Alex Albon both ran wide in the early going — a sign that grip was still coming in.

George Russell briefly topped the session after a neat early lap, but admitted to aerodynamic issues on the straights, requesting a helmet spoiler adjustment mid-run. An odd request, but a sign of how sensitive these cars and racing in general is under the current regulations.

McLaren Drops the Hammer

Just as it seemed like Red Bull and Mercedes were getting on top, McLaren lit up the timing screens. Norris fired a warning shot by recording a lap good enough for P1 — on hard tires — before Piastri got to work on softs.

His 1:30.505 had jaws on the floor — over six-tenths clear of Verstappen, and nearly a second ahead of Hamilton. Was it low fuel? A push engine mode? Or are McLaren just that quick? That was the question as even Charles Leclerc, on the mediums, could not get within half a second.

Hadjar Impresses, Bearman Solid

Behind the leaders, the midfield battle was tighter than ever. Isack Hadjar continued to turn heads, placing his car sixth — just ahead of Verstappen and Hamilton. Bearman again demonstrated a top-ten time in just his second session of the day, backing up his growing reputation with consistent speed.

Rookie Kimi Antonelli showed solid one-lap form in P5, with Russell keeping himself in contention despite complaints of balance. The sole scare came late in the session when Hadjar nearly rear-ended Nico Hülkenberg after the Haas braked hard in Turn 8.

“What is he doing?!”

fumed the Frenchman over the radio.

Long Runs & Strategy Clues

With 15 minutes remaining, most teams turned to race simulations. Russell and Verstappen pushed their soft tires deep into double-digit laps, with Max logging a healthy 17 laps on the red-walled compound — perhaps hinting at a viable opening stint on Sunday. Albon and Piastri drove more than 24 laps in this FP2 session, showing that the two-stop strategy might be the favored one for Sunday.

Ferrari’s Hamilton, trialing a new floor upgrade, put in the most laps of anyone in the top ten, gathering crucial data while showing glimpses of competitive race pace and the importance of a perfect floor.

Tire wear was high, as expected on the abrasive Sakhir asphalt — all indications are that a two-stop strategy will be the norm. But recent surprises like China’s shock one-stopper remind us: never assume.

Top 10 in FP2

Position	Driver	Time	Tyre
1	Oscar Piastri	1:30.505	S
2	Lando Norris	+0.154s	H
3	George Russell	+0.527s	S
4	Charles Leclerc	+0.540s	M
5	Kimi Antonelli	+0.722s	S
6	Isack Hadjar	+0.733s	S
7	Max Verstappen	+0.825s	S
8	Lewis Hamilton	+1.071s	S
9	Oliver Bearman	+1.079s	S
10	Carlos Sainz	+1.118s	M