After three free practice sessions and a qualifying session dominated by McLaren, the Bahrain race lived up to all its promises. When the lights went out, Oscar Piastri (McLaren) maintained his lead, initially resisting George Russell (Mercedes) and Lando Norris (McLaren), while Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) got off to a tricky start. And yet.., the Scuderia finally placed Leclerc and Hamilton in fourth and fifth positions, an encouraging performance in the light of recent races. But in the overall standings, the figures confirm a widening gap with McLaren.
A lively Grand Prix in sunny Sakhir
- McLaren as boss: Oscar Piastri, on pole for his 50th Grand Prix de France Formula 1quickly extended his lead. His team-mate Lando Norris recovered well from a 5-second penalty for poor grid positioning to finish third. George Russell, despite transponder and DRS problems, retained second place, giving Mercedes a well-deserved podium finish.
- Ferrari in ambush: Qualifying on the second row, the Scuderia could have hoped for a podium finish, but Charles Leclerc (4th) and Lewis Hamilton (5th) were unable to find the opening to worry McLaren and Mercedes, who were faster on the pace.
Clear progress... and a widening gap
While places 4 and 5 prove that Ferrari is making progress in terms of pace and strategy, the raw numbers are less impressive:
Manufacturers' standings after 4 races
- 1st: McLaren - 151 pts
- 2nd: Mercedes - 93 pts
- 3rd: Red Bull - 71 pts
- 4th: Ferrari - 57 pts
Despite the increase in performance over a lap and at the start of a stint, the Scuderia is still a long way from the leader McLaren, who dominates the season with a considerable lead.
With just 57 points this year, Ferrari has scored its worst total at the same stage of the season since 2023, a far cry from the 124 and 120 points obtained in 2022 and 2024. Despite visible progress on the track, the statistics show that the Scuderia has not yet regained its competitiveness of two or three years ago.
What's next for the Scuderia?
The next Grand Prix will be an opportunity to confirm the rise in power seen in Bahrain. Visit recent technical improvements seem to be working but it will take even more to close the gap with McLaren. The slightest misstep will be dearly rewarded in 2025, when the competition will be so fierce.
The "numbers" (in particular the historically low points tally at this stage of the season) suggest that Ferrari will have to redouble its efforts to get back into the race for the constructors' title. Fans, meanwhile, will be hoping to see the bright light of Bahrain turn into a real revival at the next few meetings. In a few Grand Prix, the team will have to decide whether it should continue its efforts on the SF-25 or focus earlier on the 2026 car.
English 
French 
Italian 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
German 
Japanese 
Turkish