13:19
A messy run for Verstappen
He locks up and runs wide on his latest flying lap. The lap before, he had a big oversteer moment.
The RB21 doesn't look hooked up.
Max
George Russell rounded out testing fastest
2025 F1 Bahrain pre-season testing - Day 3 as it happened
A recap of the action from the final day of 2025 F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
- George Russell puts Mercedes on top of day three
- Lewis Hamilton feeling 'positive' about Ferrari
- World champions McLaren enjoy strong test
- Alex Albon racks up most laps for Williams
28 Feb 2025
13:14
Gasly goes fastest
A 1m30.040s puts Gasly top of the pile ahead of Russell.
13:13
Tidy lap from Piastri
He moves into fifth on the C2 tyre, 0.7s down on Russell's time from earlier.
Piastri set the best final sector of anyone.
Piastri
13:08
Hamilton on the move
The seven-time world champion moves up to third in the Ferrari, 0.5s down on Russell.
13:08
The champ is here
Verstappen is in the Red Bull garage and preparing for his first run in a while.
Red Bull
13:05
Into the final three hours
No sign of Verstappen just yet, with Bernie Collins explaining that Red Bull are making changes to the Dutchman's car setup.
They're now checking the changes made are legal.
13:02
Lap times at 1pm
| 2025 F1 Bahrain Pre-Season Testing - Day Three | |||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m30.054s | 15 |
| 2 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m30.282s | 18 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m30.811s | 66 |
| 4 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m30.888s | 61 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | 1m30.943s | 57 |
| 6 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m31.124s | 21 |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m31.209s | 47 |
| 8 | Jack Doohan | AUS | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m31.239s | 61 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m31.258s | 12 |
| 10 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m31.444s | 70 |
| 11 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren F1 Team | 1m31.573s | 8 |
| 12 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m31.761s | 73 |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m32.084s | 49 |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m32.147s | 35 |
| 15 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m32.258s | 10 |
| 16 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m32.361s | 59 |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m33.227s | 8 |
| 18 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m36.135s | 21 |
12:59
Russell goes fastest
Now it's George Russell's time to set the benchmark pace on Day 3.
He goes fastest on a 1m30.054s in his Mercedes.
12:53
Gasly finds more time
Pierre Gasly continues on his qualifying simulation run for Alpine and improves with a 1m30.282s. That puts him half a second clear of the rest.
12:46
Hamilton up to seventh
Lewis Hamilton has just set a personal best lap to move himself up to seventh in the timesheet for Ferrari with a 1m31.258s.
12:41
Gasly on form
Pierre Gasly has hit the ground running 🏃♂️
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 28, 2025
A couple of rapid laps has propelled him to P1 👏
The time to beat now is 1m 30.459s 🔥#F1Testing#F1pic.twitter.com/hMXhtUi1mi
12:32
Another quick lap from Gasly
Pierre Gasly and Alpine are clearly doing a qualifying simulation run here.
The Frenchman goes even faster still, this time clocking a 1m30.459s lap to pull more than three tenths clear at the top of the timesheet.
12:28
Gasly sets new benchmark
Pierre Gasly has just set a new overall benchmark time to put his Alpine top of the times.
It's a 1m30.657s from the Frenchman, which puts him 0.154s ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
12:26
Russell waves at Hamilton
George Russell has just been spotted waving at former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton as he overtook the new Ferrari driver on the run to Turn 11.
Russell and Hamilton
12:15
Strangest-ever F1 test?
I can't remember a time we have had so many stoppages caused by bizarre reasons during pre-season testing.
Day one was suspended by over an hour due to a circuit-wide power cut, while this morning's session was briefly stopped due to glass shattering onto the track from the starting gantry.
Now, we've had a bus on track bringing out a red flag. Highly unusual stuff...
Not a single one of the three official red flags we've had have been caused by problems for the drivers on track.
12:13
Back to green
That was a very brief interruption to this afternoon's proceedings. With the bus safely removed, track action has resumed.
12:12
Don't rub your eyes
And here is said offending shuttle-bus down at Turn 10...
Shuttle bus
12:10
Bus on track at Turn 10!
It appears the reason for red flag was due to a shuttle-bus being on track down at Turn 10, based on replays.
Yes, you have read that correctly...
12:08
Red flag
We have a red flag but all the cars are circulating so it is not currently clear as to what has caused it.
12:06
Who is driving this afternoon?
McLaren: Piastri
Ferrari: Hamilton
Red Bull: Verstappen
Mercedes: Russell
Aston Martin: Stroll
Alpine: Gasly
Haas: Ocon
Racing Bulls: Tsunoda
Williams: Albon
Sauber: Hulkenberg
Lewis Hamilton
12:00
Final afternoon of F1 testing underway
Green light at the end of the pitlane and we are underway for the final four hours of running in pre-season testing in Bahrain.
We will be here to guide you through the on-track action.
11:29
Data from Day 3 morning
DAY 3: MORNING SESSION
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 28, 2025
Fastest sectors Speed trap#F1Testing#F1pic.twitter.com/183K85p9DG
11:01
Time for the lunch break
We will be back at midday for the final four hours of running in Bahrain.
Its's Leclerc on top at the moment with a 1m30.811s.
11:00
Results from the morning session
| 2025 F1 Bahrain Pre-Season Testing - Day Three | |||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m30.811s | 66 |
| 2 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m30.888s | 61 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | 1m30.943s | 57 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m31.209s | 47 |
| 5 | Jack Doohan | AUS | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m31.239s | 61 |
| 6 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m31.444s | 58 |
| 7 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m31.761s | 73 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m32.084s | 49 |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m32.147s | 35 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m32.361s | 59 |
10:58
System tests
There won't be any more meaningful running now with race control testing the red flag and other procedures.
