McLaren Driver Oscar Piastri Shines in Formula 1’s Bahrain Grand Prix Practice

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri left his rivals trailing in the dust during the third practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, as unrepresentative daytime conditions posed challenges for drivers seeking grip. With just 10 minutes remaining in the final hour-long practice session, Piastri’s blistering lap of 1m31.646s on soft tires went unanswered by his competitors, with the Australian six tenths quicker than teammate Lando Norris.

Scorching Conditions Test Drivers’ Limits

The scorching conditions were far from ideal ahead of the much cooler night-time qualifying session, with only Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman braving the early laps before being joined by Ferraris and Alpines. Lewis Hamilton initially led the way with a leisurely 1m34.846s on used soft tires under the intense heat at the abrasive Sakhir circuit, but drivers soon complained about the lack of grip compared to the more favorable night-time conditions. Max Verstappen called the grip level “terrible,” while George Russell felt he had “the least amount of grip I’ve ever had in an F1 car” after spinning his Mercedes.

McLaren‘s championship leader Norris upped the ante after 20 minutes with a lap of 1m33.796s on soft tires, a full second clear of Hamilton, while Verstappen’s lap was aborted due to going wide into Turn 11. Piastri embarked on his first hot lap a few minutes later and took half a second out of Norris’ time to take the lead with a 1m33.324s.

Verstappen Challenges for Top Spot

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso briefly occupied third place, followed by Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, but a better run for Verstappen saw the world champion split the two McLarens in second, just 0.234s behind Piastri. As track conditions slightly improved in the final quarter, Verstappen and then Gasly briefly took the lead before Piastri reclaimed it with a 1m31.646s, more than a second clear of the competition at that stage. Norris went wide on his first attempt but managed to secure second, 0.668s behind.

Leclerc, who had to pit to replace a lost left mirror after braking for the final corner, took third, 0.834s adrift of Piastri, followed by Mercedes duo Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Gasly was sixth for Alpine ahead of Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar and a subdued Verstappen, with Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Ferrari‘s Hamilton rounding out the top 10.

Incidents and Mishaps

The only other notable incident occurred around the halfway mark when Nico Hulkenberg’s stranded Sauber at Turn 8 caused a virtual safety car, with the German reporting that his car switched itself off.