Alonso pips Verstappen by 0.005secs in final practice · RaceFans

Fernando Alonso was the fastest driver in final practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, just five-thousandths of a second quicker than Max Verstappen.

Alonso put Aston Martin on top for the second consecutive practice session, ahead of the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Lewis Hamilton gave Mercedes some encouragement by setting the fourth-fastest time ahead of Charles Leclerc, the fastest of the Ferraris in fifth. The top 13 cars were separated by less than nine tenths of a second.

With teams having four days of running around the Bahrain International Circuit already as the final practice session began, it was a relatively quiet start to the final hour before qualifying. Lando Norris was the first driver to venture out onto the circuit, the McLaren driver setting the initial pace with a 1’34.321 on soft compound tyres.

After 10 minutes had passed, more cars began to take to the track. George Russell went two tenths of a second faster than Norris, before Mercedes team mate Hamilton put in a 1’33.508 to go top. The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jnr and Leclerc split the Mercedes drivers on their first efforts, also on the soft tyre.

Twenty minutes into the session, the fastest cars from Friday – Alonso’s Aston Martin and the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Perez – joined the circuit. While the Red Bulls opted to run on the hard tyres, Alonso was sent out on soft tyres, promptly going fastest of all with a 1’33.121.

Lance Stroll took a set of new soft tyres and produced a new quickest time, but it didn’t last for long. First he was beaten by the two Mercedes of Hamilton and Russell, by four and two tenths, respectively.

Then it was the turn of the two fastest from Friday, Alonso and Verstappen, to have a fast lap on soft tyres. Verstappen set a new best time with a 1’32.345 to put Red Bull on top for the first time in the hour, before Alonso retook the top spot by just five-thousandths of a second.

Perez was third-fastest again for Red Bull, exactly a tenth of a second slower than Verstappen. Hamilton ended the session fourth fastest, ahead of Leclerc’s Ferrari and team mate Russell. Stroll was seventh ahead of Sainz, with Oscar Piastri ninth and Pierre Gasly rounding out the top ten for Alpine.

2023 Bahrain Grand Prix third practice result

Combined practice times