Bahrain GP 2025: McLaren Tipped for Huge Advantage as F1 Tyre Manufacturer Make Big 'Degradation' Claims

After a dull race at the Japanese GP 2025, most Formula 1 fans were hopeful that the Bahrain GP would produce something better in terms of a racing spectacle. 

The F1 race in Japan was largely a procession due to the fact that cooler track temperatures led to minimal tyre degradation and a predictable one-stop race. 

However, that was always going to change at the Bahrain GP 2025 given the Gulf nation has hotter temperatures at this time of the year, even with the obvious caveat of it being a night race. 

And Pirelli have now admitted as much, handing a huge boost to McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. 

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Two-stop Race at Bahrain

Pirelli's chief engineer Simone Berra says that they are expecting a two-stop race in Sakhir, with thermal degradation levels in the tyres seeming high during the second free practice session. 

"We saw from today’s long runs that the level of thermal degradation on the tyres, not just on the rear axle but in some cases also on the front, was very high. It is therefore easy to imagine a two-stop race, with all three compounds potentially playing their part," he said.

What's more, the conditions now are very different to the last time that F1 teams were in Bahrain for pre-season testing.

"The conditions are very different now, with much higher temperatures. At 18:00 local time the track temperature got has high as 38° C, whereas during testing it never got above 19 °C," he added.

This will be a huge boost to McLaren, as their car doesn't overheat tyres which leads to longer runs and a more consistent ability to push. 

Red Bull's Hopes Hit

But this will be a huge hit to Red Bull Racing, as Max Verstappen seems unlikely to repeat his Japan heroics. 

There's also the fact that Bahrain has 3 DRS zones, meaning overtakes will be easier than they were in the aerodynamically challenged Suzuka circuit.