The last day of F1 2024 winter testing at Sakhir was disrupted by track issues, wrapping up the pre-Bahrain GP preparations.
The third and final day of F1 2024 winter testing commenced at Sakhir, marking the last test run before next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled from Thursday to Saturday.
The morning session faced disruptions due to a new issue on the Bahrain circuit, at the same location as yesterday, leading to a near-hour-long interruption as officials inspected the entire track.
It was also announced that the drainage covers causing the issue will be filled with concrete within the week to prevent recurrence at next week’s Grand Prix.
Due to the red flag, there will be no midday break. The session resumed at 9:45 AM and will continue uninterrupted ( barring incidents) until 5 PM, French time. We’ll provide a timing update at noon as on the previous days, but testing will proceed.
Sainz Leads Final F1 Winter Test
Carlos Sainz once again posted the fastest time of the morning session, clocking 1’31″247 on the medium C3 tires. The Ferrari driver completed over 50 laps, edging ahead of Sergio Pérez in his Red Bull, who used the same tires.
Lewis Hamilton ranked third, testing the soft C5 tires and finishing seven-tenths off the morning’s pace. He will hand over to George Russell to wrap up Mercedes F1’s week.
Lance Stroll placed fourth ahead of Lando Norris, who managed only 20 laps before encountering a new issue with the McLaren MCL38. The car is currently being repaired, with Oscar Piastri set to take over once it’s back on track.
Alexander Albon is sixth with around thirty laps completed, ahead of Kevin Magnussen, who managed nearly 70 laps but appeared to struggle with neck discomfort in the final minutes.
Esteban Ocon performed well on medium tires with the Alpine, securing eighth place ahead of Valtteri Bottas, who didn’t exceed 30 laps. Finally, Daniel Ricciardo rounds out the standings on hard C1 tires, with 70 laps completed.
| Position | Driver | Car | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:31.247 | 61 |
| 02 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:31.483 | 45 |
| 03 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:31.999 | 49 |
| 04 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:32.038 | 46 |
| 05 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:32.108 | 20 |
| 06 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:32.583 | 32 |
| 07 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:33.053 | 79 |
| 08 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:33.079 | 55 |
| 09 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:33.528 | 28 |
| 10 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:37.015 | 70 |
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