In the final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, McLaren showcased impressive speed, with Oscar Piastri leading teammate Lando Norris. Their performance has firmly established them as strong contenders for qualifying.
While final practice sessions, like Friday`s initial session, may not fully reflect race conditions due to taking place in warmer daylight compared to the evening floodlit sessions for qualifying and the race, McLaren`s advantage this weekend appears undeniable regardless of the time of day.
The MCL39`s advantage was particularly evident in Practice Three.
Piastri`s fastest lap time of 1:31.646 in the qualifying simulations was significantly quicker, outpacing the fastest non-McLaren car, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, by 0.8 seconds. He was also more than a second ahead of the majority of the field.
Norris secured second place but finished 0.668 seconds behind his Australian teammate after making a mistake on what should have been his fastest lap with soft tires.
World champion Max Verstappen, despite his pole position win at Suzuka last Saturday, seems to face a tougher challenge here, finishing only eighth. Lewis Hamilton was tenth in the second Ferrari.
Yuki Tsunoda is also under pressure going into his second qualifying session for Red Bull, ending the practice session in last place without setting a representative time on soft tires due to a problematic session.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth, respectively. However, none of McLaren`s rivals seemed to match the papaya cars` impressive pace in Bahrain leading up to the qualifying session.
`McLaren`s philosophy is focused on performance when it counts, not just showboating,` commented Karun Chandhok.
`While the gap may narrow in qualifying, their car is performing exceptionally well. In the hotter conditions, they can generate grip and downforce, allowing drivers to achieve fast lap times without overheating the tires as much as other teams. It`s a more forgiving car.`
Pierre Gasly demonstrated promising pace for Alpine, securing the sixth fastest time, as the team seeks their first points of the season. Isack Hadjar also continued his strong performance for Racing Bulls in seventh.
Carlos Sainz of Williams and Hamilton of Ferrari, who was 0.6 seconds slower than Leclerc with their upgraded SF-25s, completed the top 10.
Bahrain GP Practice Three Timesheet
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:31.646 |
| 2) Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.668 |
| 3) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.834 |
| 4) George Russell | Mercedes | +1.181 |
| 5) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.270 |
| 6) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.328 |
| 7) Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.377 |
| 8) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.381 |
| 9) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.446 |
| 10) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.465 |
| 11) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.594 |
| 12) Jack Doohan | Alpine | +1.701 |
| 13) Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.724 |
| 14) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.902 |
| 15) Alex Albon | Williams | +2.107 |
| 16) Oliver Bearman | Haas | +2.689 |
| 17) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +2.717 |
| 18) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +2.872 |
| 19) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +2.990 |
| 20) Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +3.319 |
Bahrain GP Weekend Schedule
- 3.10pm: F2 Sprint
- 4.10pm: Bahrain GP Qualifying build-up
- 5pm: BAHRAIN GP QUALIFYING
- 7pm: Ted`s Qualifying Notebook
- 10.50am: F3 Feature Race
- 12.20pm: F2 Feature Race
- 2.30pm: Bahrain GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday
- 4pm: THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
- 6pm: Bahrain GP reaction: Chequered Flag
- 7pm: Ted`s Notebook
Formula 1 continues its triple-header in Sakhir at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.
Marcus Prine