With Piastri’s back-to-back wins, McLaren now faces a growing and potentially destructive challenge — a fierce battle amongst its driver duo.

The Japanese Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen spoil what looked to be a McLaren victory party as the Red Bull driver nipped pole position from Lando Norris and kept Norris and Oscar Piastri at bay throughout the race for his first win of the 2025 season.

Piastri took his second win of the Formula 1 season in dominant style at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, slashing the points gap to his teammate Lando Norris, who could only manage third after an eventful race. Piastri started on pole and kept Mercedes’ George Russell behind him, fending off a challenge for the lead after a safety-car restart.