Marco Rossi · F1-Korrespondent
After facing setbacks on Friday, Mercedes found the solution overnight and sent Andrea Kimi Antonelli to the fastest lap heading into qualifying preparation.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli topped the third free practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Saturday with a time of 1:36.302 minutes, securing the best lap ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar after his Mercedes team worked through the night to address the issues from second practice. The session at Sepang International Circuit was briefly halted by a red flag when a carbon part from Oliver Bearmans's Haas came loose and remained on the racing line at Turn 10.
Mercedes Solves Its Cornering Problem Overnight
On Friday, Mercedes struggled visibly through Sepang's slow-speed corners while Ferrari had Charles Leclerc leading the second practice. After targeted simulator work overnight, Saturday morning told a different story: Antonelli turned in a 1:36.302 lap, the quickest of the entire weekend, beating Verstappen by 0.278 seconds into second place.
That Mercedes managed to eliminate the balance problem that had held it back on Friday within a single night speaks to the responsiveness of the engineers around Antonelli. George Russell slotted into fourth, 0.610 seconds down, confirming the improvement was no one-hit wonder from a single driver but affected the entire package.
Red Bull Remains the Most Consistent Force
While Mercedes fluctuated between sessions, Red Bull showed remarkable stability. Verstappen led the first practice and now ranked second again, with Isack Hadjar backing up his strong form from FP1 and FP2, finishing in third place after running inside the top three in both. For the championship battle, this consistency likely matters more than a single best lap, as it suggests the Red Bull package works across varying track conditions.
Ferrari, by contrast, dropped from second-practice leadership to fifth and sixth in the third session. Leclerc was 0.714 seconds behind Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton another 0.025 back. That need not spell doom for qualifying this afternoon, but it shows how tightly Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari are bunched together this season.
Bearmans's Brake Duct Causes Stoppage, McLaren Builds Momentum
The session was halted for several minutes after a carbon strip detached from the front brake ducts on Oliver Bearmans's Haas and settled on the racing line at Turn 10. Race control retrieved the debris before traffic resumed, an incident with no impact on the timing sheet but one that cost valuable track time.
McLaren found stronger form in the third practice with Lando Norris seventh and Oscar Piastri eighth, a step up from Friday morning when both sat outside the top ten. Further down the order, Franco Colapinto delivered a surprise with ninth place, suggesting Alpine may have more potential on Sepang's abrasive surface than the first two sessions indicated. Looking ahead to qualifying this afternoon, the key question remains whether Mercedes can back up its newly found pace over a single hot lap or if Red Bull's consistency proves the decisive factor.
