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Formula 1 Bahrain February Testing

F1 Bahrain pre-season test - Day 3

Minute by minute updates on the final day of the 2023 F1 Bahrain pre-season test

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23, Logan Sargeant, Williams FW45, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo C43, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A523, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14 line-up on the grid to practice a start

After Max Verstappen topped the opening day and Zhou Guanyu went fastest yesterday, on-track action resumes from 07:00 GMT (10:00 local time).

All three days follow the same schedule, with running taking place from 10:00 until 14:15, and from 15:15 until 19:30 (all local time), pausing for a lunch break.

All 10 teams are set to be in action for the Bahrain pre-season test, the only opportunity teams will have to properly put their cars through their paces before the 2023 season proper gets under way next weekend.

More: F1 Bahrain test driver line-up

The Bahrain pre-season test will take place on 23-25 February ahead of the 2023 F1 season opener at the same venue, the Bahrain Grand Prix, on 3-5 March.

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Stopwatch
Perez goes quickest in the Red Bull with a 1m33.167s, moments after Piastri briefly went second fastest for McLaren with a 1m33.655s.
Jonathan Noble
Jonathan Noble
Here’s an update on Mercedes: The team changed the hydraulic pump overnight that failed on Russell's car. Overnight analysis of its loss of pace delivered no smoking gun explanation, but the team is going to do a few experiments today.
By our count that is the first proper spin by any driver at testing this week. Which is wild when you think about it.
Off track
Piastri spins at Turn 10! He completes a full 360 and gets going again as if nothing happened. Play it cool, Oscar.
Stopwatch
P3 is the popular place to be today as Perez has now taken if off Leclerc. But Hulkenberg isn't messing about with bronze, as he reclaims the golden top spot with a 1m33.329s set on the C3 tyres.
Stopwatch
Leclerc, with his Ferrari's DRS flap now behaving, takes third off Gasly with a 1m34.142s.
Stopwatch
Gasly joins the party with a first timed lap of 1m34.467s to slot into third for Alpine. Over the opening two days we've not seen much in terms of performance running from the French squad, so is today the day?
Stopwatch
Russell takes top spot off Hulkenberg by 0.005s, while further back Piastri improves with a 1m34.799s to take third.
Video
Yesterday was a busy one on and off the track. Need a handy reminder of the latest talking points in the form of a short video? Look no further: 

 
Drugovich in the Aston, could that also be the case this time next week? Still no confirmation from the team about Stroll's injury comeback but with less than a week to go, you'd think time is against him.
Stopwatch
Hulkenberg may have been last on to the track but currently he is first on the times thanks to a 1m33.690s.
Just before the red flag, Leclerc's Ferrari had a temperamental DRS flap, with part of it extending fully and the other part halfway open - or halfway shut depending on your disposition - so the team is working to fix that.
Green flag
Bahrain's finest duly nips on to the track to pick up the aero sensor and testing will get going again shortly - right now in fact.
Perez's discarded aero sensor which fell off his Red Bull is the cause of the red flag. It has fallen on to a precarious place on the track and needs a marshal to run on to recover it.
Red flag
Red flag! This is an early one!

Ah, there we go, Hulkenberg nips out just in time so we have a full accompaniment. Perez has lost one of the aero sensors from his Red Bull, which has come lose and dropped off the back of the car.

Nine out of 10 teams have already taken to the track - it is just Haas who we are missing. A bit of brunch?
The Brazilian is followed out on the track by Bottas in the Alfa Romeo, Piastri in the McLaren, Perez in the Red Bull, de Vries in the AlphaTauri and Albon in the Williams.
Green flag
The third and final day of testing is under way! Drugovich leads out the early takers in the Aston Martin.
It is a very different story at Red Bull which, in the hands of Verstappen at least, the RB19 looked in ominous form. We won't see Verstappen at all today, though, as Perez is in the car for the entire day of running.
Meanwhile it hasn't been the sweetest of times for McLaren either, with the MCL60 so far not living up to expectation. So it is a big day ahead for the Woking squad.
Breaking news
After Zhou's headline-grabbing time, the biggest talking point on Friday was a breakdown for Mercedes which put it on the back foot. Worse news for the team was it needed to launch an investigation into its performance loss: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mercedes-f1-team-holding-late-night-investigation-into-performance-loss/10436170/ 
Here's who is in action for each team today:


Red Bull: Perez
Ferrari: Leclerc/Sainz
Mercedes: Russell/Hamilton
Alpine: Gasly/Ocon
McLaren: Piastri/Norris
Alfa Romeo: Bottas
Aston Martin: Drugovich/Alonso
Haas: Hulkenberg/Magnussen
AlphaTauri: De Vries/Tsunoda
Williams: Albon

Gooooooood morning one and all once again! It is an emotional day - the final day of F1 pre-season testing already!

By: Autosport Staff

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