Free Practice 3 of the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix was marked by a clear dominance from McLaren. On the Sakhir circuit, young Australian driver Oscar Piastri recorded the fastest time, ahead of his teammate Lando Norris by more than six-tenths of a second.
Driving conditions were particularly challenging, with overwhelming heat reaching 32°C (90°F) in the air and 44°C (111°F) on the track. This didn’t prevent Piastri from setting an impressive time of 1’31″646, confirming McLaren’s strong form glimpsed during the first two free practice sessions. (One wonders what they’ll achieve in qualifying!)
Ferrari and Mercedes Lying in Wait
Behind the silver arrows, Charles Leclerc positioned himself in third place with his Ferrari. The Monegasque driver, eight-tenths behind Piastri, seems capable of disrupting McLaren’s plans. His teammate Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, could only manage tenth fastest time, nearly one and a half seconds off the pace.
On the Mercedes side, George Russell claimed the fourth fastest time despite a spectacular spin caused by lack of grip. The British driver even described this experience as one of the most challenging in terms of grip that he has known in Formula 1. His rookie teammate, Kimi Antonelli, finished fifth, demonstrating impressive adaptability for his first season in the premier category.
Surprises in the Top 10
Among the other teams, notable performances came from Pierre Gasly, sixth with his Alpine, and rookie Isack Hadjar, seventh in the Racing Bulls. Two encouraging results for the French and Italian teams that will look to confirm during qualifying.
However, things were more complicated for Max Verstappen. The reigning two-time world champion could only manage the eighth fastest time with his Red Bull, nearly one and four-tenths seconds off the benchmark set by Piastri. (Not sure that will be enough to challenge the Woking team!)
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren
- Lando Norris – McLaren
- Charles Leclerc – Scuderia Ferrari
- George Russell – Mercedes
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine
- Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull
- Carlos Sainz – Williams
- Lewis Hamilton – Scuderia Ferrari
- Esteban Ocon – Haas
- Jack Doohan – Alpine
- Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
- Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
- Alex Albon – Williams
- Oliver Bearman – Haas
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Sauber
- Nico Hulkenberg – Sauber
- Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
Incidents and Retirements
The session was briefly interrupted by a virtual red flag following a mechanical issue encountered by Nico Hülkenberg in his Sauber. The German had to stop his car at the edge of the track, bringing his session to a premature end.
With milder temperatures expected in the evening for qualifying, the hierarchy could somewhat evolve. Nevertheless, given their dominance during these free practice sessions, McLaren seems poised to secure the front row on the starting grid. We’ll find out this Saturday at 6 PM!
