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Ferrari Dominates as Sainz Tops FP3 in Bahrain

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.


Aston Martin in Bahrain
Aston Martin from FP3 in Bahrain Source - Bahrain Int. Circuit (Twitter)

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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