P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Piastri wary of Red Bull "sandbags" coming off in Bahrain F1 qualifying
Piastri finished FP2 in fifth place, trailing Lewis Hamilton’s leading Mercedes by four tenths and staying ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull, which seemed to hold back power for race settings. Piastri noted the competition was tighter than anticipated, with Red Bull potentially hiding speed for the upcoming sessions. He remained cautious about Red Bull’s true speed and hinted at a potential unveiling of their full potential in the next stages. Piastri expressed confidence in the team’s capability to hover around the points and compete with both podium contenders and mid-field teams. Acknowledging the car’s inconsistencies and the influence of windy conditions, Piastri believed they were in a decent position but had room for improvement. Lando Norris, despite struggling on the timesheets, shared Piastri’s optimism for the McLaren team’s progress and aimed for a better performance following a challenging day.
