Manama: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri set the fastest time during the third free practice session of the 2025 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, recording a time of 1 minute 31.646 seconds, ahead of his teammate Lando Norris by 0.668 seconds, reflecting the team's clear dominance in this session.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished in third place, 0.834 seconds behind the leader, while Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli came in fourth and fifth, respectively.
The session experienced a disruption due to a technical incident when Nico Hlkenberg's car unexpectedly stopped, necessitating the activation of the virtual safety car before the session resumed.
McLaren exhibited clear superiority as track conditions improved in the final third of the session, with no driver able to challenge Piastri's top position, which he held until the end of the practice.
Pierre Gasly finished in sixth, followed by Isack Hadjar, while Max Verstappen took eighth place, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, who completed the top ten positions.