George Russell set the fastest lap on the third and final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, edging out reigning world champion Max Verstappen in the closing moments of the session. The Mercedes driver posted a time of 1m 29.545s, narrowly surpassing Verstappen’s 1m 29.566s by just 0.021 seconds.
Morning Session: Leclerc Leads for Ferrari The day’s action began with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topping the timesheets in the morning session. Most teams opted to switch drivers for the afternoon stint, with the exceptions of Red Bull and Williams, where Max Verstappen and Alex Albon remained behind the wheel for their respective teams.
Haas endured a challenging start to the day when a section of their engine cover detached from the car, forcing the team to make repairs. Once the track action resumed, Esteban Ocon was the first driver to venture out in the afternoon session, setting the stage for a competitive final few hours.
Afternoon Developments: Verstappen and Albon Trade Fastest Laps Pierre Gasly initially set the benchmark before Verstappen—running a series of shorter stints—lowered the fastest time to 1m 29.844s. As the session progressed, Albon temporarily claimed the top spot during a qualifying simulation on the medium C4 tyres. However, Verstappen responded with a quicker 1m 29.566s lap on the C3 compound, seemingly securing P1 for the day.
Aston Martin faced an unexpected hurdle when Lance Stroll, who had missed the morning session due to feeling unwell, returned to the cockpit in the afternoon but later relinquished the car to Fernando Alonso after completing 34 laps. The team worked swiftly to prepare the car, enabling Alonso to get on track for the final hour of running under the floodlights.
Russell’s Late Surge Secures P1 With just minutes remaining, Russell delivered a surprise by clocking a 1m 29.545s lap, pushing Verstappen down to second place. Albon finished an impressive third for Williams, followed by Oscar Piastri in fourth for McLaren and Gasly in fifth for Alpine.
Lewis Hamilton, who completed 47 laps for Ferrari, secured sixth place, while Yuki Tsunoda finished seventh for Racing Bulls. Ocon placed eighth after completing 100 laps for Haas. Leclerc, Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli, McLaren’s Lando Norris, and Alpine’s Jack Doohan rounded out the top twelve.
Further down the order, Stroll’s limited running placed him 13th, followed by Kick Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg in 14th. Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, Alonso, and rookies Gabriel Bortoleto and Ollie Bearman completed the standings for Kick Sauber and Haas.
With pre-season testing now concluded, teams will turn their attention to the highly anticipated season-opening Australian Grand Prix, set to take place from March 14-16 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne.
