FP3 at the F1 Bahrain GP wraps up with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri topping the timing sheets in FP3 with a stunning 1:31.646, a full report of the session and results below. The session was full of windy conditions, very similar to Friday’s FP1 session.
Difficult weather conditions in FP1 and FP2 caused issues with many teams’ balance and grip. FP3 on Saturday became a repeat of the struggles the grid faced in FP1, with many drivers complaining about lack of grip.
Slow start to Bahrain GP FP3 due to poor track conditions
At the beginning of the session, most teams opted to bide their time in the pits. The only cars on track were the two Haas teammates Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman, and the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.
Ollie Bearman set the first benchmark lap with a 1:36.409. British driver Ollie Bearman was heard on the radio complaining about a lack of grip compared to the night conditions of FP2. Haas teammate Esteban Ocon communicated issues on the fast sections of the track, having problems with bouncing in his VF-25.
Front runners come out swinging
The McLaren of Lando Norris set a new fastest lap time of 1:33.796, which was quickly beat by teammate Oscar Piastri with a 1:33.324; nearly five-tenths faster. The McLarens dominated the previous two practice sessions with a sizable gap to the rest of the field.
Fernando Alonso put a 1:34.237 on the board on new softs, going second. With the hot track conditions, the tyre degradation is tough on the C3 soft compounds.
Trouble with turn 11
Both Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto went outside of track limits in T11. Liam Lawson soon after was heard over the radio complaining about wind issues in the same corner.
Technical issue for Hulkenberg
A technical issue, possibly involving the Kick Sauber’s anti-stall system, caused Nico Hulkenberg to park his No. 27 car, which brought out a Virtual Safety Car (VSC).
Scrap between Lawson and Russell
The Kiwi driver Liam Lawson came on the radio complaining about how Mercedes’ George Russell handled a small incident when both of the drivers were on out laps.
Russell later spun on the exit of T10 after a lock-up in T1 on the same lap. The British driver claimed that he was experiencing “the least amount of grip I’ve ever had in an F1 car” in a radio message.
Leclerc loses his left mirror
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s left-hand side rear view mirror into a breaking zone, but the debris landed well off of the racing line, and did not cause a yellow flag.
Slight track evolution, Piastri takes full advantage
The majority of the field equipped soft tyres as the session came to a close, the track improving slightly in the final 10 minutes. However, the drivers continued to struggle to keep their cars within track limits.
Oscar Piastri put in a blistering 1:31.646, the gap to the rest of the field being over 1.3 seconds, following Pierre Gasly putting a 1:32.974 on the board to go fastest briefly. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli went second fastest shortly after, still 1.2 seconds back of Piastri.
Lando Norris logged a 1:32.314, going second fastest but still landing six-tenths back of his McLaren teammate. Charles Leclerc put in the third-fastest time of 1:32.480, a good outing after forfeiting his FP1 to Ferrari rookie Dino Beganovic, and finishing P4 in FP2.
Another dominant session for the McLaren team
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finish P1 and P2, respectively. The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc held onto P3, followed by Mercedes teammates George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in P4 and P5. Pierre Gasly, in his Alpine car, had a great session, finishing P6, followed by the rapid Racing Bulls car of Isack Hadjar. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen could only manage P8 in the first Saturday session, with former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz behind in P9, Lewis Hamilton, his replacement at Ferrari, rounded out the top ten in P10.
Full report and results from FP3 at the F1 Bahrain GP:
