F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Kimi Antonelli recovers from powerful Friday to high FP3

Kimi Antonelli topped last observe on the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to recuperate from a disappointing Friday for the championship-leading Mercedes outfit.

The Silver Arrows introduced a closely upgraded W17 to Sepang, however solely managed second and fifth in FP1 and seventh and eighth in FP2 with different groups trying stronger.

However the dominant outfit of 2026 responded completely on Saturday with Antonelli going quickest on a 1m36.302s, two tenths faster than Max Verstappen who set the tempo in first observe.

This comes on the weekend that Sepang is returning to F1 for the primary time since 2017, which was the ultimate race of an 18-year stint the place blended climate circumstances had been attribute.

But F1 remains to be ready to see that from the Malaysian observe in 2026 as FP3, like FP1 and a couple of, was dry all through however did have the primary working of the anticipated principal race tyre, the laborious.

That’s as a result of tyre degradation performed an enormous position in Friday observe on the new, low-grip floor and Charles Leclerc set a 1m37.772s on the white-stripped rubber early on.

It put the Ferrari driver in third, respectively 0.611s and 0.289s behind McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who used the mediums with all three compounds proven.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Picture by: Joe Portlock / Getty Photographs

The softs had been utilized by these within the midfield downwards that means Leclerc was nonetheless the one driver to have the hards, however he was set to be joined by George Russell till the Twenty fifth-minute purple flag.

That got here after particles flew off Oliver Bearman’s Haas at Flip 10 and when the session resumed eight minutes later, with varied drivers nonetheless but to set a time, extra gentle tyre runs as an alternative kicked in.

Championship chief Antonelli vaulted to the highest along with his first push lap, a 1m36.924s, giving him a 0.129s benefit over team-mate Russell in second.

Leclerc subsequently cut up the pair with a 1m37.016s to kickstart the ultimate six-minute rush, with Isack Hadjar going high moments afterward a 1m36.860s aboard his extremely aggressive Purple Bull.

His lead solely lasted for a short time although as a result of, simply after Russell had improved to a 1m36.912s, Antonelli displayed his dominance as soon as extra by setting a 1m36.302s.

That put the 20-year-old 5 tenths above Hadjar and each drivers had been quickly cut up by the Frenchman’s team-mate Verstappen, who set a 1m36.580s on the finish of the qualifying runs.

So Purple Bull had each of its vehicles inside the highest three for the second time this weekend after FP1, whereas Russell took fourth for Mercedes with Leclerc in fifth, 0.714s off Antonelli.

Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton took sixth with a 1m37.041s forward of seventh-placed Norris, whose greatest time (1m37.161s) got here on the mediums with team-mate Piastri in eighth.

The Australian set a 1m37.366s that put him 1.064s off Antonelli, persevering with McLaren’s struggles at Sepang after it completed eleventh and twelfth in opening observe.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, in the meantime, accomplished the highest 10 in FP3 and had been respectively 1.618s and 1.782s off the tempo.