Bahrain: The Perfect Stage to Clear Doubts

This weekend marks the fourth race of the Formula 1 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is shaping up to be the ideal place to clear uncertainties and start seeing the real picture of the grid. On the scorching asphalt of Sakhir, where racing began in 2025, many questions still lingering in the air will be answered.

One of the biggest mysteries lies at the top of the standings. McLaren boasts the most competitive car on the grid, but not the best driver. Max Verstappen made it clear in Suzuka: he will not abdicate without fighting for every metre. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri must be well aware of whom they are up against. If they choose to tangle with each other—something inevitable sooner or later—Verstappen, who remains Red Bull's cornerstone, will not hesitate to seize the opportunity. Yuki Tsunoda is still trying to fit into the first team's shoes after Liam Lawson's debut, which ended with the New Zealander quietly sidelined. In Milton Keynes, they are clear: Bahrain could be the key to capturing the lead in the Drivers' Championship.

It's no small matter. Verstappen arrives with just a one-point deficit to Norris, who has learned, albeit the hard way, that he cannot yield an inch to his great rival from 2024. Meanwhile, Piastri is not willing to play a secondary role. The Australian wants his place, and with leadership still shaky within Woking, he could step up at any moment.

Bahrain is also the perfect stage to measure ambitions. The familiarity that drivers have with this track, following pre-season tests, allows many to drive almost on autopilot, focused on refining what still squeaks, both technically and in pure racing terms. This weekend is an opportunity, and not just for the usual contenders. Four teams—Red Bull, Aston Martin, Williams, and Haas—will field rookie testers in Friday's practice sessions. Testing here, away from the treacherous walls of Monaco or Jeddah, is the smartest decision: mistakes hurt less.

Five drivers remain pointless this season: Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto. Joining them is Carlos Sainz, with a solitary point earned almost by chance. Bahrain presents an opportunity for all of them.

Gasly and Doohan have confirmed the sad fact: Alpine is the only team still at zero. Lawson is trying to extinguish the fire of his erratic start to the year, and Bortoleto, in his debut with Sauber, is fighting not to stand out for the wrong reasons. But all eyes are once again on Fernando Alonso.

Few would have imagined it, but Lance Stroll heads into this fourth race as the leader of Aston Martin with 10 points. Alonso, on the other hand, has not scored any. It is his worst start since his return to Formula 1 in 2021. In the last four years, he had at least scored twice—in 2022 with Alpine—and in 2023 he had a dream start with three podiums and 45 points. This 2025, however, the counter remains at zero.

What happened in Japan was almost a miracle: Alonso finished eleventh. What happens in Bahrain will require an even greater divine intervention. There will be no rain or weather surprises—not in one of the countries with the lowest rainfall on the planet—so scoring points will require generous doses of luck, mistakes from others—perhaps that inevitable clash between Leclerc and Hamilton that finally breaks Ferrari?—and a perfect performance. Alonso will have to squeeze every last drop out of the 'Tractor' Martin to reach the 'top 10' on Sunday. And if he can do it on Saturday, in the sprint race, even better. It won't be easy, but if anyone knows about the impossible, it's him.