AN OSCAR-WINNING SCRIPT IN THE GULF

PENALTIES galore, reliability gremlins and plenty of feisty battles made it an entertaining and often chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix.

- By Daniel Moxon

Not that Oscar Piastri knew about any of that.

The Australian was in complete command over the 57 laps yesterday and converted pole position into McLaren's first win in the Gulf state.

He clearly had the quickest car and used it to dominate.

The rest of them had about as much chance of stopping him as 85-year-old Sir Jackie Stewart did, in the 1973 Tyrrell he drove on the track before the race.

Piastri's victory cut team-mate Lando Norris's championship lead to three points and sparked a McLaren party - despite fellow Briton George Russell, above, just holding on to deny them the one-two finish they craved.

“I'm sure there's going to be a hell of a party,” said a jubilant Piastri. “I'm not going to get involved because there's another race next week.