#F1 #BahrainGP FP3 Report: @Carlossainz55 pips @alo_oficial to top time-sheets by 0.141s.

Sainz Bahrain GP FP3 – Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz topped the afternoon FP3 session at the Bahrain GP, pipping Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso as reigning world champion Max Verstappen completed the top three.

Sainz on his qualifying simulation posted the benchmark of a 1:30.824 on the C3 red side-walled softer compounds and was 0.141 seconds quicker than Alonso with Verstappen a further 0.239 seconds adrift of the Spaniard in third.

Unrepresentative track conditions compared to those expected in the upcoming qualifying and tomorrow’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix ensured that the final practice session would be of limited value, although it nonetheless offered track time to those looking to refine the setups before the high-value sessions.

Track temperatures of 34 degrees at the beginning of the session at the Bahrain International Circuit proved undesirable, which produced a six-minute wait before any action on circuit took place; then Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton broke the silence to gather some mileage.

The seven-time world champion had the whole track to himself in the early proceedings and went straight to the top setting the first registered lap time of the session – a 1:32.733 benchmark in his initial stint on the softs. Another lull of action followed when the Briton returned to the pits, although this was much shorter as Ferrari pairing Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc emerged as track temperatures began to fall.

The opening 15 minutes came to an end and there were a few more others to hit the circuit; Leclerc posted a 1:32.677 to knock Hamilton off top spot, whilst Sainz fell short of his Ferrari team-mate.

As the track continued to ramp up, lap times continued to tumble, MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen jumped to P1 by two tenths, then Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll overturned it in his initial stint.

Mercedes’ George Russell then emerged and posted a 1:31.821 to go quickest, half-a-tenth faster than Stroll’s earlier benchmark. Leclerc got close with his next flyer but could not beat the Briton’s best effort despite scoring a purple sector three, but Aston Martin’s Alonso moved to the top with a 1:31.582.

During the soft-tyre stints, Red Bull Racing pairing Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez opted to use the C1 white-marked Hard compounds and did not factor amongst the early squabbling over quicker tours. Both Red Bull drivers complained of issues over their stints as Perez reported a “bad feeling” with his downshifts whilst Verstappen said the tyres felt “terrible” after his first laps on the harder tyres.

The duo switched to the softs in the final 20 minutes left on the clock and immediately began to chase the head of the times; Perez set a 1:31.248 to chisel Alonso at the top of the time-sheets but was outdone by Verstappen’s hot-lap by two tenths.

Their efforts saw a rapid flurry of more action on the softs; the Aston Martin drivers began another round of flying laps and although Stroll just fell short of Perez’s second-quickest effort. Alonso flew his way back to the top with a 1:30.965 – saying he was “connected with the car” after he made progress with the setup.

The McLaren’s went for another go and Lando Norris got the best sector two time, but lost six tenths in the final sector, which denied the Briton a chance to take P1.

Sainz and Leclerc followed for the Scuderia’s final flyers and although the former put his SF-24 racer on top of the time-sheets, Leclerc was a further 0.270 seconds off his team-mate in fourth, behind Alonso and Verstappen.

Norris’s best time was good enough for fifth and in-front of Russell who took sixth as Oscar Piastri got the seventh-quickest time in the other McLaren MCL38 entry.

The second Red Bull RB20 entry of Perez was eighth as Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg and Aston Martin’s Stroll rounded out the top ten.

Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team’s Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda finished Free Practice 3 in 11^th and 13^th as Mercedes’ Hamilton sandwiched in-between the duo in 12^th as Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen placed 14^th in the classification.

Williams Racing duo Alexander Albon ended final practice in 15^th and in-front of Sauber pairing Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas who were 16^th and 17^th respectively.

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were 18^th and at the rear respectively as Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant split the pairing in 19^th.

You can see the full Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2024 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2024/races/1229/bahrain/practice-3.html

#F1 #BahrainGP FP2 Report: @LewisHamilton heads @MercedesAMGF1 one-two.

#F1 #BahrainGP FP1: @danielricciardo pips @LandoNorris by 0.032s.

#F1 Gulf Air #BahrainGP and 2024 Season Preview. #Formula1 #F1sBack