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F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Kimi Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
Motorsport.com • • general
Key Points:
- Kimi Antonelli led the final practice session (FP3) at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with a fastest lap of 1m36.302s, recovering from a challenging Friday for Mercedes, who had brought significant upgrades to their W17 car.
- Max Verstappen secured second place in FP3, followed closely by Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar in third, marking a strong showing for Red Bull with both cars in the top three.
- Charles Leclerc finished fifth for Ferrari, 0.714 seconds behind Antonelli, while Lewis Hamilton was sixth, indicating Ferrari's moderate pace compared to Mercedes and Red Bull.
- McLaren struggled at Sepang, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing seventh and eighth respectively, continuing their difficulties from Friday practice sessions.
- The session saw dry conditions throughout, with tyre degradation playing a significant role on the hot, low-grip track, and a red flag caused by debris from Oliver Bearman's Haas briefly interrupting FP3.
