Bahrain FP3: McLaren Duo Dominate as Qualifying Looms

McLaren delivered a clear warning in FP3, with Piastri and Norris dominating while Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull searched for answers.

It’s the final practice session before qualifying at the Bahrain Grand Prix—and McLaren have once again stolen the show.

Under scorching conditions, with track temperatures soaring past 40°C, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris delivered a powerful statement by locking out the top spots in Free Practice 3. As the rest of the grid scrambled for grip in the midday heat, McLaren’s pace looked effortless.

Despite the heat making it hard to draw meaningful conclusions—especially about tyre performance over long runs—teams still pushed for flying laps to dial in setups ahead of the all-important qualifying session later today.

Here’s how the action unfolded:

14:30 – Green light for FP3!
14:34 – Oliver Bearman sets the first time on the board (1:37.825), but it’s far from competitive.
14:39 – Esteban Ocon goes quicker (1:36.409), though he’s not happy with the car’s bouncing.
14:42 – Track temp hits 43°C. Bearman reports: “Grip is nowhere compared to last night.”
14:43 – Hamilton clocks a 1:34.846, just ahead of Leclerc by 0.057s.
14:50 – Norris storms to P1 with a 1:33.796. Verstappen starts strong but makes a mistake mid-lap.
14:53 – Piastri goes fastest with a stunning 1:33.324. Alonso climbs to P3 but trails by 0.9s.

Then things got wild.

15:01 – Nico Hülkenberg stops on track with a power issue, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
15:03 – Session resumes. Several rookies like Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson sneak into the top 10.
15:07 – Verstappen jumps to P2, just two-tenths off Piastri. Russell still down in 12th.
15:14 – Russell spins and is clearly rattled: “That’s the lowest grip I’ve ever felt in an F1 car.”
15:19 – Verstappen temporarily takes P1—until Gasly surprises with a 1:32.974.

But then—McLaren dropped the hammer.

15:20 – Piastri obliterates the field with a 1:31.646, over 1.3 seconds clear of the pack.
Rookie Antonelli grabs P2, still 1.2s behind, as Hadjar splits Gasly and Verstappen.
15:22 – Gasly’s radio sums it up: “I can’t believe how fast the McLarens are.”
15:24 – Norris slots into P2, six-tenths behind Piastri, with Leclerc up to P3. Hamilton lags in P10.

As the session closes, one thing is clear: McLaren is the team to beat in Bahrain—at least for now.

Final Top 10 – FP3 Bahrain:

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:31.646
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.622
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.846
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
7. Isack Hadjar (RB)
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
9. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
10. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Just outside the top 10: Ocon, Doohan, Lawson, Alonso, Albon, Bearman, Stroll, Bortoleto, Hülkenberg, and Tsunoda—who didn’t run soft tyres.

The Big Question:

Are McLaren truly this far ahead, or will cooler evening conditions shake up the order in qualifying?

We’ll find out soon.

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Piastri Leads Norris as McLaren Dominate Bahrain FP3
Piastri Leads Norris as McLaren Dominate Bahrain FP3