Morning Session
The energy was palpable in Bahrain as teams prepared for the final day of testing. For the first time during testing, conditions aligned with what teams expect from Bahrain – warmer temperatures, less wind and no unexpected rain showers. Unlike the previous two days, teams focused more on fine-tuning setups rather than introducing new components.
Aston Martin had to adjust its driver lineup as Lance Stroll felt unwell, leaving Fernando Alonso to handle the morning session instead. The plan was for the Canadian to drive in the afternoon at this, but he ultimately didn’t even manage that.
Red Bull introduced a new front wing, sending Max Verstappen out early with aero rakes to collect valuable data. On the other side, Aston Martin’s misfortunes continued. After confirming both drivers were unwell, their car stopped at the pit exit and had to be pushed back to the garage. The mechanics quickly fixed what appeared to be a minor engine issue, and Alonso was soon back on track.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the early pace, continuing to impress as the standout rookie after his extensive Mercedes-backed private testing. Another rookie, Oliver Bearman, ran into trouble at the same time when a piece of his engine cover flew off, exposing crucial components to the competition. Similar structural issues were spotted during their private Silverstone test.
Lando Norris went off track multiple times, suggesting McLaren was pushing the limits and fine-tuning their setup. The papaya squad appeared confident, understandably so after winning last year’s Constructors’ Championship.
At Sauber, Gabriel Bortoleto lost crucial track time due to an unspecified technical issue. The team was already the slowest last season, and with Audi taking over in 2026, they may shift focus away from this season altogether.
A red flag interrupted the session before lunch—not due to a crash, but broken glass on the start-finish straight, possibly from a marshal post. The cleanup was swift, allowing one final round of laps before the break.
In the last five minutes, the FIA tested Safety Car and red flag procedures, meaning no further improvements in lap times. Drivers practiced their starts before handing their cars over to teammates – except for Williams and Red Bull, who kept the same drivers.
Afternoon Session
Despite switching their drivers midday, Haas sent Esteban Ocon out immediately, making up for time lost to earlier repairs. He got interrupted only eight minutes in, when the session was red-flagged for an unusual reason – a bus accidentally ended up on the track after taking a wrong turn.
Pierre Gasly replaced Jack Doohan for the afternoon. Shortly after, he ran wide into the gravel, but quickly topped the timesheets, although on a low-fuel simulation run, making his lap more of a glory run than a true performance benchmark.
Oscar Piastri, taking over for McLaren as a last driver to go out for the afternoon session, focused on race runs rather than outright speed. Meanwhile, Gasly and Russell traded fastest laps, both running light on fuel.
Max Verstappen, in the car all day, continued pitting for set up changes, clearly not fully satisfied the balance. Despite setting the fastest lap after, he was seen shaking his head in the garage. Aston Martin had bigger problems than just a setup. Stroll attempted to drive but didn’t feel well enough to continue, forcing the team to swap Alonso back in. The switch cost them valuable track time.
Ocon had a spin after taking over from Bearman but avoided contact with other cars. Verstappen followed him with a similar moment, triggering a brief yellow flag.
Alex Albon briefly topped the leaderboard on softer C4 tyres. Meanwhile, Piastri ran wide in the final corner but continued lapping in provisional P3.
In the closing minutes, all teams took different approaches. While Ferrari wrapped up early, with Lewis Hamilton already out of the car after just 47 laps, Verstappen came out with flow-vis and aero-rakes for last-minute tests.
That concludes pre-season testing. Any further adjustments will have to wait until the season opener in Australia on 14th March.