Oscar Piastri set a stunning pace to lead team-mate Lando Norris at the top of the timesheet as McLaren ominously blew their rivals away in final practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, emphatically underlining their status as big favourites for qualifying.
Although final practice, like Friday’s opening session, is always less representative at Sakhir given it takes place in warmer daylight conditions compared to the floodlit evening sessions of qualifying and the race, McLaren’s superiority this weekend appears clear whatever the conditions.
The MCL39’s advantage proved to be especially pronounced in Practice Three.
Piastri’s 1:31.646 time in the end-of-session qualifying simulations was 0.8s faster than the first non-McLaren car – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who took third – and more than one second clear of the rest of the field.
Norris finished second but trailed his Australian team-mate by 0.668s after making an error on what should have been his quickest lap on soft tyres.
World champion Max Verstappen, who stunned McLaren last Saturday at Suzuka to claim pole but appears firmly up against it to stage a repeat here, was only eighth with Lewis Hamilton 10th in the second Ferrari.
And Yuki Tsunoda appears firmly on the back foot ahead of his second qualifying session for the main Red Bull team after a problematic session left him without a representative soft-tyre time in last place.
Mercedes pair George Russell, who had a spin at Turn 10, and Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth respectively. But all of McLaren’s would-be rivals appear to have little answer to the papaya cars’ searing Bahrain pace ahead of the battle for pole position at 5pm.
“The philosophy of McLaren is not to showboat, it’s to perform when it matters,” said Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok.
“When we get to qualifying the gap won’t be that big, but their car is working so well, that in the hotter temperatures they are able to generate grip and downforce and let the drivers do the lap time without overheating the tyres as much as other people. It’s less evil.”
More to follow…
Nico Hulkenberg is forced to stop out on track after suffering a technical issue with his Sauber and brings out the virtual safety car.
Sky Sports F1’s Bahrain GP Schedule
Saturday April 12
- 3.10pm: F2 Sprint
- 4.10pm: Bahrain GP Qualifying build-up
- 5pm: BAHRAIN GP QUALIFYING
- 7pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle breaks down the best chances of winning the Bahrain Grand Prix
Sunday April 13
- 10.50am: F3 Feature Race
- 12.20pm: F2 Feature Race
- 2.30pm: Bahrain GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday
- 4pm: THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
- 6pm: Bahrain GP reaction: Chequered Flag
- 7pm: Ted’s Notebook
Formula 1 continues its triple-header in Sakhir at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
NFL Confidential: Scouts, Execs on What’s Wrong with Chiefs and If They Can Fix It
Maybe a decade of success and Super Bowl runs has finally caught up to the Chiefs.Deep playoff runs take time, and they undeniably exact a physical toll, and the Chiefs have been doing it for most of the past decade. That includes runs to the Super Bowl in each of the last three seasons. That’s 17 regular-season games, plus three or four playoff games, and then only a couple of months off before they’re back on the field for spring practices.Could all that wear and tear explain Kansas City's struggles this season?FOX Sports NFL reporters Ralph Vacchiano and Eric D. Williams surveyed the league to gauge whether we're witnessing the end of a dynasty. *** Scouts' View: Maybe the Chiefs just need a long restRalph Vacchiano: "They look tired," an executive from an NFC team told me. "That’s what I think every […]
Šulc rozhodl gólem o výhře Lyonu nad Le Havrem
Online magazín deníku Právo & Seznam.czCopyright © 1996–2025, Seznam.cz, a.s., Borgis, a.s., ČTK, DPA, Reuters, fotobanka Profimedia.Publikování nebo další šíření obsahu serveru Sport.cz je bez písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis, a.s. zakázáno. RSS kanály serveru Sport.cz jsou určeny pouze pro osobní užití. Jakékoli kopírování, šíření nebo využívání obsahu RSS kanálů serveru Sport.cz bez předchozího písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis a.s. není dovoleno. Dodavatelem obsahu serveru Sport.cz a osobou vykonávající redakční odpovědnost je společnost BORGIS a.s. Šiřitelem reklamy na serveru Sport.cz je společnost Seznam.cz, a.s., IČO 26168685.
Brankář Jaroš čistým kontem pomohl Ajaxu k výhře nad Feyenoordem
Na lídry z PSV s dalším českým gólmanem Matějem Kovářem ztrácí Ajax aktuálně 14 bodů.O vítězství historicky nejúspěšnějšího celku nizozemské Eredivisie rozhodl v 13. minutě kapitán Klaassen. V 94. minutě ještě zpečetil úspěch v utkání označovaném jako „De Klassieker“ střídající Mokio. Ajax vyhrál třetí ligový zápas za sebou.
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua prediction, odds, picks: Dec. 19 fight picks from boxing expert
Jake Paul will meet Anthony Joshua in an eight-round sanctioned match with 10 oz. gloves on Friday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. This will be Joshua's first fight since losing by knockout to Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight championship on Sept. 21, 2024. Paul, meanwhile, is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past June. Paul has registered three knockouts in his past five fights, but this is clearly a massive step up in competition, so what Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua props and bets should you target?The latest Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua odds from FanDuel list Anthony as the -1300 favorite (risk $1,300 to win $100) to win, with Paul as a +700 underdog (risk $100 to win $700). The over/under for total rounds is 2.5 (-110/-120), and one could […]
Com Marquinhos e Dembélé, PSG divulga lista de relacionados para a decisão contra o Flamengo
Marquinhos era dúvida mas está confirmado para a Copa Intercontinental (Credit: Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez)O Paris Saint-Germain divulgou, neste domingo, os jogadores que estão relacionados para o confronto contra o Flamengo, pela decisão da Copa Intercontinental, na próxima quarta-feira, no Estádio Ahmad Bin Ali, no Catar. Portanto, o zagueiro brasileiro Marquinhos, que era dúvida, apareceu na lista do técnico espanhol Luis Enrique. Assim, o vencedor da última Bola de Ouro, o francês Dembélé, também vai estar no Catar. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPara este importante duelo, apenas o lateral-direito marroquino Achraf Hakimi, que ainda se recupera de uma entorse no tornozelo esquerdo, está fora da decisão do Intercontinental. Os jogadores da equipe francesa embarcaram neste domingo para o Catar. Os jogadores voltaram a Paris depois de encarar, no sábado, o Metz, fora de casa.Vale destacar, então, que o PSG vem de dois jogos longe […]
Com Marquinhos e Dembélé, PSG divulga lista de relacionados para a decisão contra o Flamengo
Marquinhos era dúvida mas está confirmado para a Copa Intercontinental (Credit: Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez)O Paris Saint-Germain divulgou, neste domingo, os jogadores que estão relacionados para o confronto contra o Flamengo, pela decisão da Copa Intercontinental, na próxima quarta-feira, no Estádio Ahmad Bin Ali, no Catar. Portanto, o zagueiro brasileiro Marquinhos, que era dúvida, apareceu na lista do técnico espanhol Luis Enrique. Assim, o vencedor da última Bola de Ouro, o francês Dembélé, também vai estar no Catar. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPara este importante duelo, apenas o lateral-direito marroquino Achraf Hakimi, que ainda se recupera de uma entorse no tornozelo esquerdo, está fora da decisão do Intercontinental. Os jogadores da equipe francesa embarcaram neste domingo para o Catar. Os jogadores voltaram a Paris depois de encarar, no sábado, o Metz, fora de casa.Vale destacar, então, que o PSG vem de dois jogos longe […]
Related
NFL Confidential: Scouts, Execs on What’s Wrong with Chiefs and If They Can Fix It
Maybe a decade of success and Super Bowl runs has finally caught up to the Chiefs.Deep playoff runs take time, and they undeniably exact a physical toll, and the Chiefs have been doing it for most of the past decade. That includes runs to the Super Bowl in each of the last three seasons. That’s 17 regular-season games, plus three or four playoff games, and then only a couple of months off before they’re back on the field for spring practices.Could all that wear and tear explain Kansas City's struggles this season?FOX Sports NFL reporters Ralph Vacchiano and Eric D. Williams surveyed the league to gauge whether we're witnessing the end of a dynasty. *** Scouts' View: Maybe the Chiefs just need a long restRalph Vacchiano: "They look tired," an executive from an NFC team told me. "That’s what I think every […]
Šulc rozhodl gólem o výhře Lyonu nad Le Havrem
Online magazín deníku Právo & Seznam.czCopyright © 1996–2025, Seznam.cz, a.s., Borgis, a.s., ČTK, DPA, Reuters, fotobanka Profimedia.Publikování nebo další šíření obsahu serveru Sport.cz je bez písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis, a.s. zakázáno. RSS kanály serveru Sport.cz jsou určeny pouze pro osobní užití. Jakékoli kopírování, šíření nebo využívání obsahu RSS kanálů serveru Sport.cz bez předchozího písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis a.s. není dovoleno. Dodavatelem obsahu serveru Sport.cz a osobou vykonávající redakční odpovědnost je společnost BORGIS a.s. Šiřitelem reklamy na serveru Sport.cz je společnost Seznam.cz, a.s., IČO 26168685.
Brankář Jaroš čistým kontem pomohl Ajaxu k výhře nad Feyenoordem
Na lídry z PSV s dalším českým gólmanem Matějem Kovářem ztrácí Ajax aktuálně 14 bodů.O vítězství historicky nejúspěšnějšího celku nizozemské Eredivisie rozhodl v 13. minutě kapitán Klaassen. V 94. minutě ještě zpečetil úspěch v utkání označovaném jako „De Klassieker“ střídající Mokio. Ajax vyhrál třetí ligový zápas za sebou.
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua prediction, odds, picks: Dec. 19 fight picks from boxing expert
Jake Paul will meet Anthony Joshua in an eight-round sanctioned match with 10 oz. gloves on Friday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. This will be Joshua's first fight since losing by knockout to Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight championship on Sept. 21, 2024. Paul, meanwhile, is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past June. Paul has registered three knockouts in his past five fights, but this is clearly a massive step up in competition, so what Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua props and bets should you target?The latest Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua odds from FanDuel list Anthony as the -1300 favorite (risk $1,300 to win $100) to win, with Paul as a +700 underdog (risk $100 to win $700). The over/under for total rounds is 2.5 (-110/-120), and one could […]
Com Marquinhos e Dembélé, PSG divulga lista de relacionados para a decisão contra o Flamengo
Marquinhos era dúvida mas está confirmado para a Copa Intercontinental (Credit: Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez)O Paris Saint-Germain divulgou, neste domingo, os jogadores que estão relacionados para o confronto contra o Flamengo, pela decisão da Copa Intercontinental, na próxima quarta-feira, no Estádio Ahmad Bin Ali, no Catar. Portanto, o zagueiro brasileiro Marquinhos, que era dúvida, apareceu na lista do técnico espanhol Luis Enrique. Assim, o vencedor da última Bola de Ouro, o francês Dembélé, também vai estar no Catar. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPara este importante duelo, apenas o lateral-direito marroquino Achraf Hakimi, que ainda se recupera de uma entorse no tornozelo esquerdo, está fora da decisão do Intercontinental. Os jogadores da equipe francesa embarcaram neste domingo para o Catar. Os jogadores voltaram a Paris depois de encarar, no sábado, o Metz, fora de casa.Vale destacar, então, que o PSG vem de dois jogos longe […]
Com Marquinhos e Dembélé, PSG divulga lista de relacionados para a decisão contra o Flamengo
Marquinhos era dúvida mas está confirmado para a Copa Intercontinental (Credit: Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez)O Paris Saint-Germain divulgou, neste domingo, os jogadores que estão relacionados para o confronto contra o Flamengo, pela decisão da Copa Intercontinental, na próxima quarta-feira, no Estádio Ahmad Bin Ali, no Catar. Portanto, o zagueiro brasileiro Marquinhos, que era dúvida, apareceu na lista do técnico espanhol Luis Enrique. Assim, o vencedor da última Bola de Ouro, o francês Dembélé, também vai estar no Catar. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPara este importante duelo, apenas o lateral-direito marroquino Achraf Hakimi, que ainda se recupera de uma entorse no tornozelo esquerdo, está fora da decisão do Intercontinental. Os jogadores da equipe francesa embarcaram neste domingo para o Catar. Os jogadores voltaram a Paris depois de encarar, no sábado, o Metz, fora de casa.Vale destacar, então, que o PSG vem de dois jogos longe […]
Be the first to leave a comment