Formula One pacesetters McLaren dominated final Bahrain Grand Prix practice on Saturday with Oscar Piastri exhibiting spectacular speed in main Lando Norris one-two whereas Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen was solely eighth.
Australian Piastri lapped the Sakhir circuit in a greatest time of 1 minute 31.646 seconds with championship chief Norris 0.668 slower.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended up third, however a hefty 0.834 off Piastri’s tempo, after dropping his left wing mirror earlier in the session.
“I can’t believe how fast those McLarens are at the moment,” mentioned Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who at one level was high, over the radio.
Mercedes’ George Russell was fourth, 1.181 slower than Piastri, with rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli fifth and Gasly sixth in a session that was run in temperatures of 30 levels celsius.
Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race, which ends after darkish and underneath floodlights, might be significantly cooler.
Norris leads Verstappen, final yr’s winner at Sakhir from pole place who additionally received in Japan final weekend, by a single level in the standings going into the fourth spherical of the season.
Russell exclaimed at one level that “I’d probably go as far as saying that’s the least amount of grip I’ve ever had in an F1 car”.
French rookie Isack Hadjar was seventh quickest for Racing Bulls, Williams’ Carlos Sainz was ninth and Ferrari’s seven- instances world champion Lewis Hamilton tenth.
Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber stopped on monitor with 28 minutes remaining, the German reporting the automotive had gone into anti-stall and switched off.
Published – April 13, 2025 12:43 am IST
