2025 Bahrain GP FP3: Piastri outshines all for McLaren

Oscar Piastri delivered another commanding performance in the final practice session of the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, topping the timesheets by a dominant margin and reinforcing McLaren’s position as the team to beat so far in the 2025 season. The Australian driver clocked a stunning 1:31.646 in the closing minutes of FP3, ending the session over six-tenths clear of teammate Lando Norris and nearly a full second ahead of the rest of the field. It was a lap that sent a message—not just about McLaren’s one-lap pace but about their composure across all conditions during the weekend.

Unlike the representative night sessions of FP2 and qualifying, FP3 took place in the baking afternoon heat, with track temperatures well above what teams would face in competitive sessions. Yet even in these unrepresentative conditions, the MCL39 looked untouchable. Piastri’s pace was metronomic throughout the session, and while Norris trailed him by 0.668s—partly due to a mistake on his soft tyre run—McLaren’s advantage was unmistakable.

Behind the orange cars, Ferrari continued to wrestle with inconsistency despite their sizeable upgrade package. Charles Leclerc managed to slot into third, the only non-McLaren driver within a second of Piastri, but Lewis Hamilton could do no better than tenth. The seven-time champion struggled again for grip and balance, lapping over 0.6s slower than his teammate as Ferrari continued to search for the sweet spot in their updated SF-25.

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Mercedes offered a solid, if unspectacular, showing in the midday heat. George Russell was fourth despite a spin at the low-grip Turn 10 and later called the conditions “the least amount of grip” he’d ever experienced in an F1 car. Kimi Antonelli, rebounding from his troubled Friday, impressed again by placing fifth—his calm and precise approach standing out in a session where many faltered.

Pierre Gasly quietly starred for Alpine, finishing sixth as the Enstone-based team tried to claw its way into the points this weekend. Isack Hadjar continued his breakout run for Racing Bulls, placing seventh on the timesheets and once again outperforming more experienced teammates. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, endured another difficult session. The reigning champion aborted an early flying lap after going wide and struggled to find a rhythm even after set-up changes. He ended the session eighth, still complaining about the car’s handling and brake feel—issues that had plagued Red Bull throughout the weekend.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing elsewhere, either. Fernando Alonso brought Aston Martin back into the headlines when his steering wheel came loose again in the opening laps—though he eventually rejoined the session and completed limited running. Charles Leclerc lost a wing mirror mid-lap in a bizarre incident, while Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber shut down at Turn 8, triggering a brief Virtual Safety Car as marshals recovered the stricken car.

Rounding out the top 10 behind Verstappen and Hamilton was Carlos Sainz in ninth for Williams, continuing to look solid but unspectacular in the team’s midfield battle. Esteban Ocon led the Haas charge in 11th, followed by Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Lawson, and a frustrated Alonso in 14th. Alex Albon, Ollie Bearman, Lance Stroll, and Gabriel Bortoleto filled out the lower midfield, while Hulkenberg’s stoppage left him 19th. At the very back, Yuki Tsunoda endured a nightmare session, failing to log a proper lap on soft tyres and finishing last for Red Bull—a team suddenly looking vulnerable ahead of qualifying.

2025 Bahrain GP FP3 Results

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix FP3, 12 April 2025