By: First of all, we apologise for the unusual delay. Having moved to a continent other than Europe, the timings do not fit with our schedule, so we feel it is only right to apologise for not being as punctual as usual today.
But let us talk about F1. As we had already seen between FP1 and FP2, the Sepang circuit is proving particularly interesting. The track has a very flowing, fast layout, but the surface is very slippery, which affects tyre degradation, especially through high-speed corners.
The C3 appears to work only on the Red Bull
Pirelli has designated the C2 as the Hard, the C3 as the Medium and the C4 as the Soft. Our impression is that, apart from rare cases, the C3 is neither competitive nor consistent across all cars. Indeed, very few teams have managed to make it work properly: among the top teams today, we only noticed Red Bull. The Dutchman completed a 13-lap stint on the C3, showing pace on a par with George Russell (Mercedes) on the C4.
Verstappen therefore looks to be a genuine threat not only for pole position, but also for victory in the event. He only failed to set a competitive time in FP2 because he did not use the Soft tyre. He used just one set of Mediums.
Antonelli and Leclerc respond to Verstappen
Antonelli and Leclerc, meanwhile, issued a strong response, showing highly competitive pace on the Soft tyre. The only caveat is that their average times are very low because they elected to fit a second set of tyres rather than continuing to run like Russell. The fact that Max was faster than George on the Mediums suggests drivers are likely to use the C3 and C2 Hard for longer stints, while the Soft will be reserved for shorter runs.
The pit-stop time is estimated at 22.5 seconds, which means that, to make an extra stop and have fresher tyres, there must be enough of a margin to recover the time lost in the pits against a rival. Judging by Friday's race pace, that delta appears to be there. Degradation was very pronounced today. Strategies will largely depend on how easy it is to overtake.
It is therefore difficult to say who has the greatest winning potential. Antonelli and Leclerc were very quick on short stints, which were also very close together, while Verstappen appeared to have the edge over Russell. Max could be one of the leading protagonists in Sunday's race. Beating Mercedes will not be easy, but he appears to have all the tools, at least, to try.
Moreover, neither McLaren nor Ferrari appear to be in such bad shape either.
Cover photo by Peter Kiss / WHYOUT Images
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Bahrain GP 2026
