Verstappen tops final practice as Bearman debuts for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia
Max Verstappen dominated the third and final practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The reigning world champion set a blistering pace with a time of 1m28.412s, utilizing just two sets of soft tyres during the one-hour session.
Verstappen's performance left him 0.146s ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Leclerc, who finds himself with a temporary teammate this weekend, is partnering with reserve driver Oliver Bearman. Bearman is standing in for Carlos Sainz, who is sidelined with appendicitis.
Oliver Bearman, initially scheduled to start the F2 race on pole for Prema, showcased his potential in his late call-up to Ferrari. The Briton managed to secure the 10th fastest time, delivering a confident performance.
Sergio Perez ensured Red Bull's strong showing by securing the third-fastest time. However, Perez was 0.3s behind Leclerc, and nearly half a second off Verstappen's pace.
The session was momentarily halted when Kick Sauber's Zhou Guanyu lost control at Turn 7, crashing into the barriers and causing significant damage to his car. Zhou's incident brought out a red flag and caused a 10-minute stoppage. Sauber now faces a tight deadline to repair the car in time for qualifying later in the day.
Once the session resumed, George Russell showed promising pace for Mercedes, ending up fourth fastest. His teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, clocked in at ninth.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloLando Norris placed just behind Russell, separated by a mere 0.07s. Fernando Alonso led Aston Martin's charge, securing sixth place, with teammate Lance Stroll in seventh. Oscar Piastri rounded out the top eight.
Logan Sargeant experienced a frustrating session, clipping the wall and damaging his Williams, which prevented him from setting a timed lap.
The Alpine team appeared more competitive compared to their performance in Bahrain. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon finished 12th and 14th respectively. Yuki Tsunoda also outpaced his RB teammate Daniel Ricciardo by a tenth of a second.
As the teams prepare for qualifying, all eyes will be on whether Sauber can get Zhou’s car ready in time, and whether Bearman can continue his promising debut performance.
