Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Live text
Formula 1 Bahrain GP

F1 Bahrain GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 and Qualifying

Saturday's Formula 1 action from the Bahrain International Circuit

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari F1-75

After two extensive pre-season tests split between Barcelona and Bahrain, the new generation of F1 starts this weekend with the season opener Bahrain GP.

Friday practice saw Max Verstappen and Red Bull end FP2 on top ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, while Mercedes endured a tough opening day with George Russell fourth, over half a second off Verstappen’s lap time, and Lewis Hamilton down in ninth place.

Sebastian Vettel has been ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19, with Aston Martin reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg taking on the super-sub role which he undertook for the team on three occasions in 2020.

Daniel Ricciardo is back in action for McLaren after recovering from his own positive COVID-19 test which forced him to miss the Bahrain pre-season test last week.

FP3 starts at 12pm GMT (3pm local time) and will run for one hour, with qualifying taking place at 3pm GMT (6pm local time) and will also run for one hour.

Live Text

Sort by
The FIA has acknowledged that "human error lead to the fact that not all cars were allowed to un-lap themselves". It was a significant bone of contention that only lapped cars between race leader Hamilton and second-placed Verstappen were permitted to unlap themselves.
The FIA removed race director Michael Masi from his post after he proceeded over the ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that failed to implement at least two articles of the sporting regulations. The FIA's report finds that Masi "in combination with the objective to finish under green flag racing conditions applied throughout the 2021 season", Masi was "acting in good faith".
We'll be bringing you all the reaction to that news shortly.
Breaking news
Alas, the long-awaited findings from the FIA's report into the Abu Dhabi safety car controversy are now out.
It's just over 90 minutes now before qualifying commences. We're going to take a short break and we'll be back with you before 15:00 GMT for all the build-up as the all-important first race of F1's new era draws ever nearer. See you shortly.
In case you missed any of the action, here's the full report from that frenetic FP3 session topped by Max Verstappen and Red Bull: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-bahrain-gp-final-practice/9134465/
At the sharp end, Mercedes came close to Red Bull on a few occasions and Russell even led the standings at one point, but Verstappen had some pace in the bag to end up three tenths quicker than fastest-Mercedes driver Russell. Leclerc still appears to have the edge on Sainz too, the Spaniard half a second down on his team-mate in the end.
Hulkenberg can be pleased with how close he was to Stroll, the pair split by less than a tenth in ninth and 11th spots. What's less clear though is how probable the Aston's Q3 prospects are, given Alpine's lack of medium running and the potential of the Haas demonstrated by Magnussen.
Alpine kept its power dry and didn't attempt any soft running, so it remains to be seen what Ocon and Alonso will produce later on. But Bottas yesterday was talking up his hopes of extending his 101-race Q3 streak and on today's evidence you'd fancy his chances. Likewise Magnussen, who has returned to F1 like he's never been away, showing excellent form that underlies the folly of his 'journeyman' label.
So what did we learn from that session? Alfa Romeo and Haas appear to have made a big step forward and could well be contenders to make Q3.
Checkered flag
And there's the checkered flag to denote the end of an absorbing FP3 session that swung back and forth like a certain FA Cup tie involving Havant and Waterlooville that gave this writer a fright a few years ago.
Intriguingly, it's Perez who now has the fastest first sector of anybody. Verstappen remains fastest in the middle sector, while it's Russell who has the fastest final sector.
The FIA stewards have determined that Sainz was released unsafely into Alonso's path. That will now be investigated.
And now Magnussen improves too, leaping up to seventh on a 1m33.437s - ahead of Bottas who had been the best of the rest in the Alfa. Could Haas be firm contenders to score points this weekend?
Schumacher sets a new personal best in the Haas, but it's still not enough to usurp team-mate Magnussen who has settled back into the team magnificently after his year away racing sportscars in America (plus an IndyCar one-off with McLaren and a father-and-son jolly at Le Mans).
Sainz appears to have been released right into the path of his countryman Alonso in the pitlane. The incident has been noted by the stewards.
Aston drivers Stroll and Hulkenberg now go for times on the soft tyre. The Canadian goes first with a 1m33.920s to go ninth quickest, while Hulkenberg's 1m33.971s puts him 11th, just behind Norris. A superb effort that from the German considering his total lack of any pre-season testing.
Ricciardo has posted his first time on softs in the McLaren, a 1m34.378s, which puts him 13th, behind Magnussen's Haas that set its time much earlier in the session.
Still no sign yet of Tsunoda, who remains in the garage. Gasly has had to go through AlphaTauri's run plan alone thus far and is 10th fastest, 1.6 seconds off the pace set by Verstappen.
Perez now leaps up from ninth to third, pushing Russell down another position. It's a 1m32.791s from the Mexican, a respectable two tenths slower than Verstappen.
Alpine is resolutely plugging away on the mediums. Alonso sets a new personal best to go 12th fastest, in between the Haas pair that set their times on softs. Ocon also improves to 15th, between the soft-shod Williams pair.
Leclerc radios his team to warn that the team is losing time in the final sector. Can Ferrari address its problems there in time for qualifying?
Red Bull back on top then, with Leclerc second and Russell third for Mercedes, with Sainz fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of Hamilton. Perez is only ninth at the moment, behind the Alfas and Norris, but is winding up for another go.
And Verstappen goes fastest once again! Despite the flat spot on his right-front, it's a 1m32.544s that just shades Leclerc's earlier effort.
Well, that was quite a few minutes. Verstappen now going again after that right-front lock-up caused him to abort his first effort.
Leclerc has returned to the track on softs after his earlier spin and sets the fastest middle sector of anybody... And goes fastest too. It's a 1m32.640s which bumps Russell back to second and Verstappen to third.
Norris has kept his powder dry so far but posts his first lap of the session on softs, a 1m33.955s that puts him into eighth spot behind Zhou.
Verstappen winds up for another go on softs, but it's a scruffy opening to the lap and he backs off.
Alfa has sent its cars out for another go on the softs too. Bottas goes fifth, ahead of Leclerc, on a 1m33.733s, while Zhou moves up to seventh on a 1m33.880s.
And now Russell goes fastest, a 1m32.935s from the new Mercedes man!
Well then. Sainz pops up into second, squeezing into the already slender gap between Verstappen and Hamilton with a 1m33.053s, just 0.018s behind the Red Bull.
On that lap from Hamilton, it's interesting that he was slower than Verstappen in sectors two and three. Now that Hamilton appears to have shown his hand, does the Dutchman have any more in the pocket?
Pete Bonnington explains to Hamilton over the radio where he was losing time - a resigned, "yeah", from the seven-time world champion when told of the difference to Verstappen, estimated at 0.15s.
Neither of the McLarens, Alpines, AlphaTauris or Aston Martins have yet attempted a lap on the soft, which explains why they lock out positions 13-20.
It's a 1m33.121s from Hamilton, which puts him only fractionally behind Verstappen - just 0.086s between the great rivals!
That's more like it from Hamilton, who sets a purple first sector.

By: autosport.com

Published: