Oscar Piastri completed a clean sweep of practice sessions for McLaren in Bahrain, beating team mate Lando Norris by six tenths of a second in the final hour of running before qualifying.

However lap times in the third practice session were over a second slower than yesterday.

Track conditions were not quite as hot as in first practice yesterday, but still well above the temperatures which are expected for qualifying. Several drivers remarked the track lacked grp.

George Russell was among them after spinning his Mercedes at the exit of turn 10. “I’d probably go as far as saying that’s the least amount of grip I’ve ever had in an F1 car,” the said afterwards.

Russell ended the session fourth fastest, less than a tenth of a second ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes. Charles Leclerc was the only driver to get within a second of Piastri.

Pierre Gasly impressed with the sixth-fastest time in his Alpine, but was in are of the McLaren drivers’ pace. “I can’t believe how fast these McLarens are at the moment,” he remarked near the end of the session.

As usual, Racing Bulls appeared to reveal more of their pace than the senior Red Bull team, Isack Hadjar taking seventh ahead of Max Verstappen.

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Carlos Sainz Jnr was ninth for Williams but reported a potential problem with his car on the way back to the pits. “There’s something with the engine that is not behaving normal,” he told his team. Lewis Hamilton completed the top 10.

Nico Hulkenberg’s session came to an early end when his Sauber ground to a halt halfway around a lap. A Virtual Safety Car period was used while his C45 was pushed behind a barrier.

But despite completing just seven laps he still ended the session ahead of Yuki Tsunoda. The new Red Bull driver was last, almost two seconds off team mate Verstappen.

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Grand Prix third practice result

P. # Driver Team Model Time Gap Laps
1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes MCL39 1’31.646 13
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes MCL39 1’32.314 0.668 18
3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari SF-25 1’32.480 0.834 19
4 63 George Russell Mercedes W16 1’32.827 1.181 13
5 12 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes W16 1’32.916 1.270 12
6 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault A525 1’32.974 1.328 18
7 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 02 1’33.023 1.377 15
8 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Honda RBPT RB21 1’33.027 1.381 13
9 55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams-Mercedes FW47 1’33.092 1.446 15
10 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari SF-25 1’33.111 1.465 18
11 31 Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari VF-25 1’33.240 1.594 17
12 7 Jack Doohan Alpine-Renault A525 1’33.347 1.701 18
13 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 02 1’33.370 1.724 4
14 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin-Mercedes AMR25 1’33.548 1.902 18
15 23 Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes FW47 1’33.753 2.107 4
16 87 Oliver Bearman Haas-Ferrari VF-25 1’34.335 2.689 18
17 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin-Mercedes AMR25 1’34.363 2.717 16
18 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber-Ferrari C45 1’34.518 2.872 16
19 27 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari C45 1’34.636 2.990 7
20 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull-Honda RBPT RB21 1’34.965 3.319 15

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2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Grand Prix combined practice times

P. # Driver Team FP1 time FP2 time FP3 time Gap Laps
1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 1’34.508 1’30.505 1’31.646 67
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1’33.204 1’30.659 1’32.314 0.154 69
3 63 George Russell Mercedes 1’31.032 1’32.827 0.527 38
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’31.045 1’32.480 0.540 46
5 12 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1’38.051 1’31.227 1’32.916 0.722 42
6 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 1’34.667 1’31.238 1’33.023 0.733 61
7 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Honda RBPT 1’31.330 1’33.027 0.825 40
8 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1’33.800 1’31.576 1’33.111 1.071 64
9 87 Oliver Bearman Haas-Ferrari 1’31.584 1’34.335 1.079 45
10 55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams-Mercedes 1’31.623 1’33.092 1.118 43
11 23 Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 1’33.928 1’31.696 1’33.753 1.191 57
12 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 1’34.397 1’31.706 1’33.370 1.201 54
13 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber-Ferrari 1’34.628 1’31.772 1’34.518 1.267 64
14 7 Jack Doohan Alpine-Renault 1’34.396 1’31.788 1’33.347 1.283 68
15 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin-Mercedes 1’31.825 1’33.548 1.320 37
16 31 Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari 1’34.184 1’31.870 1’33.240 1.365 63
17 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault 1’33.442 1’31.947 1’32.974 1.442 68
18 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull-Honda RBPT 1’34.484 1’32.024 1’34.965 1.519 63
19 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin-Mercedes 1’35.116 1’32.382 1’34.363 1.877 66
20 27 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1’34.262 1’32.496 1’34.636 1.991 55
21 46 Luke Browning Williams-Mercedes 1’34.885 4.380 20
22 38 Dino Beganovic Ferrari 1’35.055 4.550 20
23 34 Felipe Drugovich Aston Martin-Mercedes 1’35.198 4.693 19
24 50 Ryo Hirakawa Haas-Ferrari 1’35.261 4.756 20
25 72 Frederik Vesti Mercedes 1’35.325 4.820 26
26 37 Ayumu Iwasa Red Bull-Honda RBPT 1’35.475 4.970 20

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2025 Bahrain Grand Prix

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