Sainz managed to outpace Alonso towards the session’s end with a remarkable lap time of 1:30.824, establishing a 0.141-second lead over Fernando, who had been leading for most of the session.
Max Verstappen secured third, trailed by Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, rounding out the top five. All the top drivers were separated by a mere fraction of a second, less than three-tenths, setting the stage for an exhilarating qualifying session scheduled for 4 pm.
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George Russell for Mercedes claimed sixth, followed by Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez, while Lewis Hamilton found himself in 12th position.
Ferrari showed promising speed in last week’s pre-season testing and continued to demonstrate their strength in the final practice.
The third practice session held during the day, resulted in higher track temperatures compared to the cooler conditions expected for the night-time qualifying and race in Sakhir.
Despite Hamilton’s 12th place finish, being only six tenths behind the leader, his performance in the second practice offers optimism for qualifying, as the conditions were more reflective of what the drivers will face.
The upcoming qualifying session signals a tight competition for pole position in the inaugural qualifying of 2024, with teams like Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, and McLaren all vying for the top spot.
Third Practice Results
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, 1 March 2024
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:30.824 |
| 2) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.141 |
| 3) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.238 |
| 4) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.270 |
| 5) Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.294 |
| 6) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.366 |
| 7) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.386 |
| 8) Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +0.424 |
| 9) Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +0.454 |
| 10) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.572 |
| 11) Daniel Ricciardo | RB | +0.625 |
| 12) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +0.628 |
| 13) Yuki Tsunoda | RB | +0.807 |
| 14) Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +0.847 |
| 15) Alex Albon | Williams | +1.141 |
| 16) Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | +1.176 |
| 17) Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | +1.272 |
| 18) Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.300 |
| 19) Logan Sargeant | Williams | +1.301 |
| 20) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.558 |
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