Charles Leclerc on top for Ferrari as F1 testing ends in Sakhir | Results from Bahrain test, day 3. Charles Leclerc is quickest on the final day of F1 testing and his long runs looked good too.

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari concluded the third day of testing in Bahrain, marking the end of Formula 1’s 2024 pre-season. Carlos Sainz, the Monegasque driver’s Maranello teammate, led the final morning session ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez before the session was interrupted due to a broken drain cover for the second consecutive day.

The repair work led to a 1-hour and 17-minute pause in testing. Consequently, the scheduled one-hour lunch break was canceled, and the testing continued until the chequered flag at 7 pm local time.

McLaren faced early trouble, with Lando Norris experiencing an apparent clutch issue, adding to their testing challenges. Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas had a restricted program as his team worked on the floor and rear end of his car.

In the afternoon, Max Verstappen took over from Perez in the RB20, while the Monegasque replaced Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari. Charles Leclerc initially went third fastest, trailing Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, until Max Verstappen set impressive times on used C3 tires. Leclerc responded with a fast time, using the softer C4 compound, although it won’t be used in the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix.

With two hours left, Charles Leclerc set another fast time in the SF-24 single-seater, going four tenths clear of Max Verstappen. In the final hour, many drivers focused on longer runs on the hardest tires.

Yuki Tsunoda used C4s to secure the third position, followed by George Russell in fourth on the harder C3 tires. Alex Albon claimed fifth with a late C4 lap, completing 121 laps for Williams.

George Russell attempted to beat Charles Leclerc’s time, but despite a purple third sector, he finished second, 0.046s behind. Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu secured the third position, pushing Max Verstappen to fourth.

Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso moved up to seventh and eighth, respectively, just before sunset. Carlos Sainz’s morning time held up for ninth, followed by Perez and Nico Hulkenberg. Lewis Hamilton finished 12th after completing 49 laps in the morning, followed by Lance Stroll and Norris. Alpine had a low-key test, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon in 15th and 17th, separated by Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

After limited morning running, Bottas finished 18th, and RB’s Daniel Ricciardo was the slowest of the 19 active drivers on Friday. The 2024 Formula 1 campaign officially begins on Thursday with the Bahrain Grand Prix’s first practice.