Ferrari showcased their seriousness and dominance in the last practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz leading from the front. Aston Martin also displayed strong potential, as Fernando Alonso trailed just 0.141s behind Sainz.
These timings raise questions about the competitiveness of the upcoming season and whether it's a true reflection of teams' performance or if Red Bull is intentionally holding back.
FP3 commenced with Mercedes sending Lewis Hamilton out on softs, where he posted a time of 1m32.733s. Although initially off the pace, it was clear that Hamilton wasn't pushing hard through the final corner. Subsequently, Ferrari, Williams, and Sauber took to the track, with Williams opting for mediums.
Early in the session, Lance Stroll set the fastest time, followed by Charles Leclerc and the Mercedes cars. However, Fernando Alonso soon took the lead.
Red Bull didn't show early competitiveness in the session, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the 14th and 19th positions, respectively, as they were the only ones to set times on hard tires.
POSITION | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME | GAP | LAPS |
1 | Carlos Sainz | FERRARI | 1:30.824 | 18 | |
2 | Fernando Alonso | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 1:30.965 | +0.141s | 18 |
3 | Max Verstappen | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 1:31.062 | +0.238s | 16 |
4 | Charles Leclerc | FERRARI | 1:31.094 | +0.270s | 17 |
5 | Lando Norris | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 1:31.118 | +0.294s | 12 |
6 | George Russell | MERCEDES | 1:31.190 | +0.366s | 12 |
7 | Oscar Piastri | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 1:31.210 | +0.386s | 13 |
8 | Sergio Perez | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 1:31.248 | +0.424s | 17 |
9 | Nico Hulkenberg | HAAS FERRARI | 1:31.278 | +0.454s | 13 |
10 | Lance Stroll | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 1:31.396 | +0.572s | 17 |
11 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB HONDA RBPT | 1:31.449 | +0.625s | 13 |
12 | Lewis Hamilton | MERCEDES | 1:31.452 | +0.628s | 20 |
13 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB HONDA RBPT | 1:31.631 | +0.807s | 14 |
14 | Kevin Magnussen | HAAS FERRARI | 1:31.671 | +0.847s | 20 |
15 | Alexander Albon | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 1:31.965 | +1.141s | 17 |
16 | Zhou Guanyu | KICK SAUBER FERRARI | 1:32.000 | +1.176s | 17 |
17 | Valtteri Bottas | KICK SAUBER FERRARI | 1:32.096 | +1.272s | 16 |
18 | Esteban Ocon | ALPINE RENAULT | 1:32.124 | +1.300s | 11 |
19 | Logan Sargeant | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 1:32.125 | +1.301s | 16 |
20 | Pierre Gasly | ALPINE RENAULT | 1:32.382 | +1.558s | 14 |
Alpine drivers appeared to struggle, showing signs that they might finish in the lower half of the grid. Despite track improvements, their lap times did not reflect a competitive pace.
Red Bull made a late move by fitting the C3 soft tires later in the session but ran early, managing to secure a decent lap time despite the evolving track conditions. Max Verstappen might face a tougher challenge for pole position compared to last year, as Ferrari and Aston Martin seem more competitive. However, uncertainties remain about their fuel loads or engine power settings.
Lewis Hamilton faced challenges throughout the session, running wide at Turn 4 on his best lap. His attempt at another lap with the same set of tires resulted in being half a second slower, indicating a challenging session for the Mercedes driver.
Saubers and Williams also struggled, with Alex Albon's best time coming in his first stint, similar to Red Bull's strategy. Based on the day's performance, Alpine and Sauber might be the favorites to be knocked out in Q1, while Williams could potentially get one car into Q2, especially considering Albon's potential.
Despite Red Bull being the favorite for pole position, Ferrari is posing a significant threat, showing determination in the opening race of the 2024 season.
See you after Qualifying!
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