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.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Best time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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