SAKHIR: McLaren`s Oscar Piastri celebrated his 50th Formula One race with a pole-to-flag win in Bahrain on Sunday that sent him second overall and three points behind championship leading team-mate Lando Norris.

The Australian also became the season`s first repeat winner in four races and ended reigning champions McLaren`s long wait for victory at their Bahraini owners` home Sakhir circuit.

Norris finished third, after lining up sixth on the grid and then having to fight back from a five-second penalty for a jumped start under the floodlights.

Mercedes` George Russell held off his fellow Briton for second in a tense battle over the closing laps but faced a stewards` enquiry for allege dly using the drag reduction system outside the defined zone.

`It`s been an incredible weekend starting with qualifying yesterday and finishing the job today in style is nice,` said Plastri, who won by 15.499 seconds despite a safety car period wiping out his initia11ead.

`It`s very important given our owners. It`s never been a track that`s been kind to us, so it`s nice to have our first win here.

Norris now has 77 points to Piastri`s 74, with McLaren on 151 in the constructors` standings and Mercedes second on 93.

Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fourth and fifth, with the Italian team`s former boss Luca di Montezemolo the guest of honour waving the chequered flag.

Red Bull`s four-times world champion Max Verstappen, who had been only a point behind Norris after winning in Japan last weekend, finished sixth with Pierre Gasly scoring Alpine`s first points of the campaign in seventh.

Esteban Ocon, who crashed heavily in qualifying, redeemed himself with eighth for Haas and Yuki Tsunoda delivered Red Bull`s first double points finish of the year in ninth.

The final point was secured for Haas by British roolcie Oliver Bearman, who started last.-Reuters