Verstappen tops final Bahrain GP practice

Max Verstappen broke Mercedes’ stranglehold atop the timesheets in the final practice for the Bahrain GP.

Verstappen’s lap of 1m28.355s was 0.263s faster than Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and 0.366s over the 2nd Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

Alex Albon, who crashed heavily Friday recovered to go 4th quick 0.663s behind his teammate. Carlos Sainz Jr. rounded out the top-5 for McLaren with Lando Norris seventh in the second McLaren.

Carlos Sainz, McLaren MCL35 – 5th quick

Daniil Kvyat was eighth for AlphaTauri, ahead of Racing Point pair of Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez.

The Ferrari drivers finished 13th and 15th, with Sebastian Vettel ahead of Charles Leclerc.

In qualifying trim, McLaren and AlphaTauri lead the midfield contenders, with Sainz in fifth and Pierre Gasly in sixth.

Practice 3 Results

POS NO DRIVER CAR TIME GAP LAPS
1 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda 1:28.355 +0.000s 11
2 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:28.618 +0.263s 12
3 77 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:28.721 +0.366s 14
4 23 Alexander Albon Red Bull Racing Honda 1:29.018 +0.663s 12
5 55 Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren Renault 1:29.455 +1.100s 12
6 10 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri Honda 1:29.472 +1.117s 16
7 4 Lando Norris McLaren Renault 1:29.567 +1.212s 8
8 26 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri Honda 1:29.585 +1.230s 17
9 18 Lance Stroll Racing Point BWT Mercedes 1:29.660 +1.305s 13
10 11 Sergio Perez Racing Point BWT Mercedes 1:29.672 +1.317s 12
11 3 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:29.684 +1.329s 9
12 31 Esteban Ocon Renault 1:29.691 +1.336s 11
13 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:29.859 +1.504s 15
14 99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari 1:29.970 +1.615s 10
15 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:30.183 +1.828s 14
16 63 George Russell Williams Mercedes 1:30.559 +2.204s 16
17 8 Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 1:30.652 +2.297s 16
18 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1:30.759 +2.404s 12
19 7 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari 1:30.823 +2.468s 16
20 6 Nicholas Latifi Williams Mercedes 1:30.917 +2.562s 19