FP3: Sainz tops final practice in Bahrain ahead of Alonso and Verstappen

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Carlos Sainz dominated the third and final free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, clocking the fastest time with a lap of 1m 30.824s. The Ferrari driver edged out fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who finished second, and reigning champion Max Verstappen, who took third.

Check out the results of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, including the race results, qualifying times, and practice sessions

Drivers were cautious initially, with Lewis Hamilton, who topped Thursday's second practice, being the first to take to the track. Most opted for the soft tyres, except for the Red Bull pair of Verstappen and Sergio Perez, who interestingly chose the hard compound.

As the session progressed, times began to drop, with Alonso initially leading before Sainz claimed the top spot. Charles Leclerc secured fourth place despite a minor slip on his flying lap. McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished fifth and seventh, sandwiching George Russell in sixth.

The top ten was rounded out by Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, and Lance Stroll. Daniel Ricciardo, fast in FP1, was 11th, while Hamilton concluded in 12th.

The remainder of the field saw Yuki Tsunoda and Kevin Magnussen in 13th and 14th, followed by Alex Albon in 15th, with Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas in 16th and 17th. The Alpine team struggled, placing Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in 18th and 20th, divided by Logan Sargeant in 19th.

Teams now have a brief window to analyze the data before the qualifying session at 1900 local time.

Formula 1 Grand Prix Schedule F1 TV: Watch every race of the 2024 Formula 1 Grand Prix season live