Carlos Sainz of Ferrari set the fastest time in the final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen. The top 14 cars were separated by just over six tenths of a second.
The final practice session is typically used for qualifying simulations on the softest tires. It allows teams to fine-tune their setups and gather data on tire performance before the start of qualifying. However, the session was slightly skewed by Red Bull’s decision to run on a different tire compound than the rest of the field.
Verstappen and Sergio Perez of Red Bull opted for the harder C1 compound tire, while everyone else used the softer C3 Pirellis. This led to a different pace order in the early part of the session.
Alonso set the fastest time on the soft tires, followed by Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Sainz, and Stroll. The rest of the field followed closely behind.
It’s worth noting that Alonso set his fastest time later in the session, while the other frontrunners set their times earlier. This could have influenced the pace order.
Mercedes driver George Russell’s lap time was comparable to the Ferraris, but it should be noted that the Ferraris needed an extra lap to achieve their fastest times. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda also benefited from a late timed lap, which artificially boosted his position.
Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, was the first on track, so his lap time was not representative of his true pace.
Alpine’s drivers struggled to find pace, even with the track conditions improving.
In the final part of the session, Red Bull switched to the soft tires but ran earlier than the other teams. This meant they didn’t have the best track conditions and missed out on the advantage of earlier laps on that tire compound.
Sainz once again set the fastest time, followed by Alonso, Verstappen, and Leclerc. Norris and Russell also posted competitive lap times.
Verstappen’s performance raised questions about his chances for pole position. It’s unclear if Red Bull is running with a lighter fuel load or at full power. The car also seemed to have some understeer dialed in, which could be a strategy to protect the rear tires during the race.
Leclerc had a moment of oversteer, and Hamilton ran wide at Turn 4 on his fastest lap. Both drivers struggled to improve on their times.
Nico Hulkenberg impressed with a top 10 time in his Haas, ahead of both Red Bulls. Alex Albon also showed potential with an early fast lap, and the Saubers were not far behind.
Alpine, despite enjoying better track conditions, is expected to struggle in qualifying and is likely to be eliminated in Q1.