SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Oscar Piastri can seize the initiative in the Formula 1 title race as he starts on pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday with his teammate Lando Norris and champion Max Verstappen both further down the grid.

Piastri held off an unexpected challenge from Mercedes driver George Russell to take pole in qualifying Saturday in a sign McLaren is still the F1 team to beat in 2025.

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A team mix up cost Russell and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli each one spot on the grid after penalties were imposed after the qualifying session.

Russell will start from the second row and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was promoted from third to start from the front row alongside Piastri when the race starts at 1500 GMT. Antonelli finished fourth in qualifying but will start from fifth spot.

Norris, the standings leader, could only manage sixth and said he had “no idea” what to fix.

His overnight plan? “Go to sleep” and hope things are different for the race.

Verstappen, who is s one point behind Norris and won in Japan last week, starts seventh after problems with his brakes and a lack of grip. “We’re not sure what to expect at the moment,” he said after qualifying.

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Also in the mix are Leclerc and 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, who last week became the youngest ever driver to lead a lap in an F1 Grand Prix race.

There’s pressure on seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who starts ninth in a season of ups and downs since he joined Ferrari. Verstappen’s new Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda is 10th and is aiming to be the first driver for the team other than Verstappen to score a point since November.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing