2025 F1 Bahrain Test, Day 3: live coverage of final morning in Sakhir. It's still testing time for F1 in Bahrain:.

From 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Formula One will be on track in Manama for the last day of pre-season testing. Follow the LIVE coverage of Day 3 of F1 Testing in Bahrain, with green lights at 8:00 AM Central European Standard Time.

F1 TEST Bahrain – LIVE Coverage Day 3

12.03 – The final standings of this morning’s Day 3 session in Bahrain:

12.00 – Checkered flag! The third and final morning of winter testing in Sakhir comes to an end. However, F1 will be back on track in about an hour for another four hours of testing in Bahrain before packing everything up and shipping the cars to Melbourne.

11.59 – The session resumes for the very last seconds, which will be used for a standing start test on the grid. It won’t be a crowded start, as only Bortoleto and Hadjar are out of the pits.

11.57 – As happened yesterday, the last five minutes are used by the FIA to test all the IT systems. First, we had a Virtual Safety Car, then the indication of the Safety Car deployment, and finally, a red flag.

11.55 – Leclerc, after a brief stop in the pits, is back on track with used C3 tires. The Ferrari driver is lapping in the mid-1:35s.

11.52 – Just under ten minutes left in this morning’s session and, therefore, in this live coverage, which we hope has kept you entertained. We also take this opportunity to inform you of the drivers with the most laps completed: the leader is Hadjar with 70, followed by Charles Leclerc with 63. Both are still on track, so the count will only increase.

11.49 – The morning – and, in his case, also the pre-season testing – ends for Ollie Bearman, who smiles after taking off his helmet in the Haas garage. The British driver is tenth, 1.5 seconds behind Leclerc.

11.46 – Kimi Antonelli, on the other hand, continues lapping and closely follows Charles Leclerc on track, even overtaking the Ferrari driver at the end of the straight.

11.43 – Max Verstappen’s morning run may also be over, as he has stepped out of his RB21 and removed his helmet and balaclava.

11.38 – Norris has stepped out of his MCL39 and headed to the back of the garage. It is unclear whether this is just a short break before the final push or if – considering that there are just over 20 minutes left until the checkered flag – his pre-season testing is over.

11.31 – Heavy traffic on track now, with Leclerc, Antonelli, Verstappen, Doohan, Albon, Alonso, Bortoleto, and Bearman all running. It would have been quicker to list who isn’t: Norris and Hadjar, both still in the pits.

11.27 – Norris is back on track at full speed with a fresh set of Hard C2 tires. However, after setting the fastest time in the first sector, Lando had to control an oversteer moment in Turn 13 and then lost stability again in Turn 14. The MCL39 seems more nervous compared to yesterday, but it’s possible that the engineers are testing more extreme setups.

11:00 – Norris is back on track with new Hard C2 tires but hasn’t improved (1:32.043). It’s also worth noting that the track is significantly warmer (and slower) compared to the start of the session and compared to Wednesday and yesterday. The asphalt temperature is 33 degrees, with 18 degrees in the air.

10:58 – Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso slightly improves, moving into eighth position: 1:32.084 for the two-time world champion, who is 1.2 seconds behind Leclerc’s Ferrari.

10:55 – Since there’s not much happening on track right now, here’s a quick quiz moment: who is this gentleman who was seen – almost unexpectedly – in the F1 test paddock in Bahrain? Let’s see who answers correctly first in the comments.

10:53 – Jack Doohan is back on track after a good spray of flow-viz on the left-front suspension area. It’s useful to clarify for the less experienced: it’s a fluorescent paint widely used by F1 teams to evaluate the aerodynamic flow patterns on track.

10:50 – We’re almost at the halfway point of these four morning hours, and now on track we have Antonelli (on his 13th lap with a set of used C3 tires), accompanied by Hadjar and Bearman. New Hard C1 tires for the young Ferrari Driver Academy talent.

10:37 – Regarding Max Verstappen: there’s a possibility that the Dutch driver has started a race simulation or, more likely, a long run. He’s lapping at 1:35.9 and is on his tenth lap with this set of used C3 tires. It’s unlikely to be a true race simulation because Max will also be driving in the afternoon, so it’s more probable that the Bahrain GP simulation will be done in the afternoon, under conditions closer to the race.

10:32 – Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is having some fun teasing a few of his friends in the Williams pit. While a video was being filmed in the pit lane, the Dutchman passed by in his Red Bull RB21, showing his middle finger. It’s better that Mohammed Ben Sulayem doesn’t see this…

10:23 – Max Verstappen is back on track, accompanied by almost-teammate Isack Hadjar. Both are working with used C3 tires.

10:20 – The MotoGP tests in Thailand have finished, with a huge surprise: Pecco Bagnaia failed to make it into the top 10, so he will have to go through the tricky Q1 in qualifying. Here’s the report from our Marco Belloro.

10:16 – A sector record for Antonelli, but he doesn’t improve in the second and third sectors of the Sakhir track. Kimi finishes in 1:30.932, about half a tenth slower than his best time of the day (1:30.888).

10:12 – Official confirmation from Aston Martin: Lance Stroll, who is not on track as scheduled due to feeling unwell during the night, will be in the car in the afternoon. This means Fernando Alonso will not be driving for the entire day as planned…

10.08 – Speaking of Verstappen: in his previous run, the world champion was far from happy with the behavior of his RB21. After returning to the pits, he remained stationary for over half an hour. The Dutchman had run wide at Turn 11 and then vented his frustration by punching the steering wheel.

10.05 – Leclerc was unable to improve, with his first lap at 1:31.699. Verstappen, on the other hand, improved with a 1:31.209, moving up to fourth place. In this attempt, Max returned to work with the new “short nose” wing.

10.03 – Leclerc and Verstappen are back on track, both on fresh C3 tires. This had already happened a few minutes ago, and at least on the surface, Ferrari and Red Bull seem to be following the same testing program.

09.56 – Kimi Antonelli is also back on track, resuming work at the wheel of the Mercedes W16 after a break of over an hour.

09:51 – Lando Norris finally managed to complete a clean lap: 1:30.943 and third place for the young McLaren driver on his fifth lap with this fresh set of C3 tires (a sign that there was still a decent amount of fuel on board).

09:49 – A small mistake from Alex Albon as well: the Williams driver went wide at Turn 10 and then executed a controlled spin to get back on track without losing too much time. Albon is fifth, six-tenths off the top, but he has been running mostly on C2 tires (the same ones he used to set his best time). It’s worth noting that the Thai driver, along with Max Verstappen, is one of the only pilots—barring surprises—who will be driving all day without swapping with his teammate.

09:46 – And it continues: Norris aborted his third consecutive lap after experiencing oversteer mid-corner, this time through Turn 13. Finally, Ollie Bearman is back on track with his Haas, repaired after losing part of the engine cover at high speed.

09:43 – The MCL39 continues to show some nervous behavior: on his second fast attempt, Norris once again lost control under braking into Turn 4, with the rear end noticeably unstable. This time, though, the British driver managed to stay out of the run-off areas but still had to abort the lap.

09:40 – Or maybe not! Norris lost the rear under braking into Turn 4, ending up in the asphalt run-off area. He then had to engage reverse gear to get back on track. Speaking of returns: Charles Leclerc is back out of the garage with a fresh set of C3 tires.

09:38 – Doohan improves, moving up to fifth place with a time of 1:31.613. Norris is back on track with a new set of C3 tires—will this be the lap where he finally pushes?

09:31 – There are some issues for Andrea Kimi Antonelli: the Bologna-born driver is stuck in the garage, and even privacy panels have been set up to block prying eyes from seeing what’s happening in the Mercedes garage. According to Matteo Bobbi on Sky, Antonelli encountered a technical issue a few minutes ago while attempting a push lap on fresh tires.

09:27 – No improvement for Leclerc: Charles had set the fastest first sector but then went off track under braking into Turn 4. On his second attempt, the Monegasque driver posted a 1:32.062, more than a second slower than his best lap of the day. However, it is unclear what kind of program Ferrari is running.

09:24 – Attention, attention! After 15 laps without completing a timed lap, Lando Norris finally puts a time on the board: 1:32.137 for the vice world champion, 1.3 seconds off Leclerc’s best time.

09:04 – A tense moment for Lando Norris: while accelerating out of Turn 1, the British driver had to countersteer to avoid a spin. A good way to test his reflexes, which, indeed, have not rusted over the winter break…

08:59 – Bortoleto has yet to deliver the race simulation announced by the team, but he gives us a chance to witness his illusionist skills: here’s his magician Silvan moment as he vanishes from the cameras in a… puff.

08:57 – The answer to the earlier question is clearly no. Bortoleto is running at controlled speed, having completed three or four laps over the two-minute mark. Norris is doing the same kind of work.

08:54 – Currently on track is Gabriel Bortoleto, now on his third lap with fresh Medium C3 tires—could this really be the start of his race simulation? Meanwhile, Norris is back on track, but he has yet to set a timed lap and is inevitably last in the standings.

08:47 – Verstappen improved on his second attempt with the same set of C3 tires: Max is now third, 581 milliseconds behind Leclerc.

08:45 – We also have a more detailed photo of the issue Bearman encountered a few minutes ago: here’s how the engine cover of the young British driver’s Haas came loose.

08:42 – Norris is back on track, still the only driver without a time in this session. Lando has completed seven laps but has not yet attempted a timed run.

08:37 – Max Verstappen takes fourth place on fresh Medium C3 tires. The Dutch driver is 640 milliseconds off Leclerc’s best time.

08:33 – Antonelli remains second but closes to within 27 milliseconds of Leclerc. Max Verstappen is back on track with fresh tires. Notably, the RB21 of the world champion is already fitted with the aerodynamic updates that technical director Pierre Wache announced yesterday. These are developments planned for Melbourne, but Red Bull has decided to test them on track today to confirm they are on the right path.

08:29 – Problems for Oliver Bearman! The young Haas driver lost a large piece of carbon fiber from the engine cover and is now driving slowly to prevent further damage. It’s likely the engine cover was not properly secured and “exploded” at high speed on the straight.

08:26 – Leclerc is back on track with fresh Medium C3 tires. A perfect opportunity to reclaim the lead with a time of 1:30.861. However, it wasn’t a flawless lap, as Charles ran slightly wide at Turn 4 and then had a small “snap,” an unexpected oversteer moment, exiting Turn 15 onto the main straight.

08:23 – The session started at a frantic pace, with almost all drivers hitting the track immediately. Now, there’s a moment of calm: the only driver outside the garage is Alex Albon in the Williams, while Norris has also returned to the pits after his controlled-speed runs on the straight.

08:20 – After an initial installation lap, Lando Norris is back at work. He was undeniably the standout performer yesterday. The vice-world champion is on track with Medium C3 tires and is running at controlled speed on the straight.

08:17 – Antonelli retakes the top spot in this back-and-forth battle with Ferrari’s Leclerc. A 1:31.189 for the 18-year-old Italian, putting 125 milliseconds between him and Leclerc, who has also improved his time.

08:13 – Speaking of Gabriel Bortoleto: the young Brazilian rookie is expected to complete a full Bahrain GP simulation this morning. Sauber mechanics were waiting at the pit lane lights with the car stationary and under tire warmers, much like a real race grid, but Bortoleto has now returned to the garage.

08:11 – Leclerc reclaims the best time, dropping to 1:31.583. He is followed by Antonelli, Doohan, and Bortoleto.

08:07 – Andrea Kimi Antonelli improves immediately: 1:31.738 for the young Italian in the Mercedes. But times will drop significantly.

08:05 – Charles Leclerc sets the first fastest time of the day, but it’s still far from yesterday’s top performances: 1:32.715 for the Ferrari driver, who also ran slightly deep into Turn 1.

08:02 – Max Verstappen is immediately on track, exiting the garage with a highly visible aero rake mounted behind the front wheels. In just two minutes, nine of the ten drivers scheduled for this morning session have already taken to the track.