George Russell pipped Red Bull rival Max Verstappen to the fastest time as Mercedes ended an intriguing yet inconclusive final day of F1 Testing on top.
On a Friday punctured by two bizarre red flags – the first for a shattered pane of glass from a gantry that fell onto the main straight and the second for the appearance of a circuit bus in a run-off area – Russell ended up ahead after a flurry of late fast laps in the day’s floodlit closing hour, with a best time of 1:29.545 – the third quickest of the three day test.
Verstappen’s fastest effort, also on the C3 tyres, was a mere 0.021s slower as the world champion completed Red Bull’s fastest laps of what at times had appeared a complicated test with the RB21.
Red Bull, who brought a new nosecone to the final day, spent much of the day on short to mid-length runs seemingly experimenting with set-ups. Verstappen also had a late spin at Turn One.
Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen both spun out of control at the same turn during the closing stages of testing
After unseasonably chilly, and then wet, conditions affected the opening two days of running, conditions were more typical for the Middle East for the final day.
Williams’ Alex Albon followed up team-mate Carlos Sainz’s test-best time from Thursday with the third-quickest Friday effort, finishing 0.1s back on Russell, albeit on the slightly quicker C4 compound.
Having caught the eye with their long-run pace on Thursday, McLaren had a lower-key final day with neither Oscar Piastri nor Lando Norris again troubling the absolute top of the headline timesheet, although the former produced a late flier to go fourth.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was fifth at the end of a productive test for the Enstone team, a year on from their dismal start to the campaign when they propped up the pecking order.
A bus bizarrely drove out onto the track at the Bahrain International Circuit, causing another red flag on the final day of testing
Lewis Hamilton featured in a first afternoon session of the week at Ferrari and ended up with the sixth-fastest time, 0.8s away from Russell and his former Mercedes team.
Hamilton had said in the lunchtime news conference that he was due to perform his first race simulation since joining Ferrari, but ended up completing only 47 laps across various short stints. The Scuderia missed the final stages of the session in a slightly premature end to their day.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc was ninth but 0.5s slower in the hotter morning conditions.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was 10th after completing the morning session ahead of Norris in 11th.
Bahrain Testing: Day Three timesheet
1) George Russell, Mercedes, 1:29.545, 91 laps
2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 1:29.566, 81 laps
3) Alex Albon, Williams, 1:29.650, 137 laps
4) Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 1:29.940, 85 laps
5) Pierre Gasly, Alpine, 1:30.040, 84 laps
6) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 1:30.345, 47 laps
7) Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls, 1:30.497, 87 laps
8) Esteban Ocon, Haas, 1:30.728, 103 laps
9) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 1:30.811, 66 laps
10) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 1:30.888, 61 laps
11) Lando Norris, McLaren, 1:30.943, 57 laps
12) Jack Doohan, Alpine, 1:31.239, 61 laps
13) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, 1:31.699, 34 laps
14) Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, 1:31.726, 69 laps
15) Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, 1:31.761, 73 laps
16) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, 1:32.084, 82 laps*
17) Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber, 1:32.147, 35 laps
18) Oliver Bearman, Haas, 1:32.361, 59 laps
When is the first F1 race?
For the first time since 2019, the season-opener will be held in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix on March 14-16. The first race has switched from Bahrain to Australia due to Ramadan taking place throughout March.
There are 24 events on the 2025 F1 calendar, the same number as last year, with the season ending at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 5-7.
Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1, starting with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
