Russell edges Verstappen in final Bahrain F1 test session

George Russell stole the spotlight in the final session of Formula 1 pre-season testing at Bahrain on Friday, posting the day’s fastest lap of 1’29.850 on C3 tyres – the equivalent of medium rubber – with just six minutes to spare.

The Mercedes driver’s effort capped a dramatic day, though it fell 0.2 seconds shy of Carlos Sainz Jnr’s overall test benchmark set on Thursday.

Earlier, Alexander Albon had briefly claimed the top spot for Williams with a 1’29.650 on C4 tyres, only for Max Verstappen to eclipse him on C3s—until Russell’s late surge sealed the session.

Oscar Piastri delivered McLaren’s best lap of the test, a seemingly cautious 1’30.050, landing him fourth. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who unleashed a flurry of quick laps post-lunch, rounded out the top five, showcasing promising pace.

Meanwhile, Albon and Verstappen ran solo all day, with the Williams driver racking up the most laps at 115, while Esteban Ocon notched an impressive 102 laps for Alpine in the evening alone, despite a harmless spin at Turn 1.

Bizarre Interruptions Steal Headlines

The day wasn’t without chaos. Near the end of the morning session, a glass pane shattered onto the pit straight after falling from a flag gantry, triggering a red flag.

As the debris was cleared, Kimi Antonelli and Fernando Alonso hit the track—only for another stoppage to occur when a marshal hadn’t returned to their post.

The afternoon brought an even stranger scare: a bus entered the circuit at the Turn 9-10 run-off area shortly after the lunch break.

With Gasly, Ocon, and Yuki Tsunoda on track, disaster was narrowly avoided as none ran wide. The FIA promised a thorough investigation into the breach.

Driver Swaps and Setbacks

Aston Martin faced challenges with Lance Stroll, who fell ill overnight. Fernando Alonso stepped in for the morning, and though Stroll managed 34 laps after lunch, he remained unwell, handing the car back to Alonso.

At Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton’s final test run was cut short, managing only 47 laps—well shy of his planned 57-lap race simulation and qualifying stint.

Ferrari halted early, hinting at a potential issue with the SF-25, leaving Hamilton with limited track time before the season opener.

As the chequered flag fell, the session underscored both promise and unpredictability, but setting the stage for a thrilling 2025 campaign.

1	George Russell	Mercedes	1'29.545	-	81
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1'29.566	0.021	81
3	Alexander Albon	Williams	1'29.650	0.105	137
4	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1'29.940	0.395	85
5	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1'30.040	0.495	84
6	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1'30.345	0.800	47
7	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	1'30.497	0.952	87
8	Esteban Ocon	Haas	1'30.728	1.183	103
9	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1'30.811	1.266	66
10	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1'30.888	1.343	61
11	Lando Norris	McLaren	1'30.943	1.398	57
12	Jack Doohan	Alpine	1'31.239	1.694	61
13	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1'31.699	2.154	34
14	Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	1'31.726	2.181	69
15	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1'31.761	2.216	73
16	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1'32.084	2.539	82
17	Gabriel Bortoleto	Sauber	1'32.147	2.602	35
18	Oliver Bearman	Haas	1'32.361	2.816	59

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