F1 Bahrain 2021 pre-season testing - Day 3
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Just under three hours of track action to go and it is time for our next handover. Taking you through the next stint is the incomparable Jake Boxall-Legge.
Moments after his Aussie shoutout, Ricciardo locks up under braking at Turn 8 and creates a small flatspot on his front tyres.
Ricciardo over team radio: "A little message to all the Aussies. Today was meant to be the Australian GP but we'll be back in November to see you all."
A pair of personal best laps flick up in quick succession. Verstappen, on the C2s, goes P9 with a 1m31.733s while Sainz sets his first timed lap of the afternoon with a 1m36.899s to go P16 using the C4s.
A little over 45 minutes into this session and still no sign of Hamilton, as shots of the Mercedes garage show his car being prepared by several mechanics. The reigning F1 champions really cannot afford to lose more running time.
Ricciardo is another driver on the move up the times, as he goes fifth for McLaren with a 1m30.949s using the C3s.
Raikkonen marches up the timing screen to P6 with a 1m31.565s using the C3 test tyres. On his latest stint he has also broken through the 100-lap mark. He'll be thrilled - well, as thrilled as Kimi can be.
Mazepin isn't waiting around this afternoon, as he climbs up to P7 now on the C3s tyres with a 1m32.234s.
We've not seen him on the track yet, but Hamilton has been chatting in the lunch break. The F1 world champion is expecting a battle with Red Bull this year, who he says is a "different animal" in 2021: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/hamilton-red-bull-will-be-different-animal-in-2021-f1-season/5726121/
Ricciardo clocks a 1m33.476s for McLaren using the C3s to go P12. Just ahead of him Sainz has appeared in the Ferrari for the first time this afternoon.
Verstappen pits for a front wing and nose change and comes out right behind Tsunonda in the AlphaTauri, which means just Hamilton and Sainz are yet to venture on to the track out of the afternoon runners.
Raikkonen is looking mean in green - no, he hasn't changed teams - but there is a healthy helping of green flow vis paint on the back of his Alfa Romeo's rear wing and the diffuser.
Verstappen is in the Red Bull this afternoon and for his first run he has a camera gaffer taped to his car just in front of his cockpit and behind the front wheels.
Mazepin is the latest to shake up the timing screen, as the Haas driver puts in a 1m32.771s to take P9 off of Alonso.
Two-time F1 world champion Alonso straight into the action with a 1m32.953s to go P9. Vettel's first clocked effort is a more leisurely 1m37.499s to take P12.
Alonso joins the fun too in the Alpine. Lots of C3 tyres on show, while Ricciardo has opted for a set of C4s for his first serving of the afternoon.
So it is very much the definition of a lunch break for Russell and Raikkonen who will continue this afternoon for Williams and Alfa Romeo respectively. They have probably had a healthier lunch than the cheese on toast we've sneaked in.
That means by the end of today we will have had 18 of the 20 F1 drivers in action, with only Giovinazzi and Latifi missing out on the fun. Hope they've filled the time by going to the karting track next door to the circuit.
Speaking of driver switches, here's who is coming in for the final four hours of pre-season testing: Ricciardo (McLaren), Vettel (Aston Martin), Mazepin (Haas), Alonso (Alpine), Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), Verstappen (Red Bull), Hamilton (Mercedes) and Sainz (Ferrari).
By: Jake Boxall-Legge, Stefan Mackley, Haydn Cobb, Tom Howard
