Kimi Antonelli topped final practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, recovering from a disappointing Friday for the championship-leading Mercedes outfit. The Silver Arrows brought a heavily upgraded W17 to Sepang, but only managed second and fifth in FP1 and seventh and eighth in FP2. Yet the dominant outfit of 2026 responded perfectly on Saturday with Antonelli going quickest on a 1m36.302s, two tenths quicker than Max Verstappen.
This is the weekend Sepang returns to F1 for the first time since 2017. However, F1 is still waiting to see mixed weather, as FP3, like FP1 and 2, was dry throughout. Tyre degradation played a huge role on the hot, low-grip surface, with Charles Leclerc setting a 1m37.772s on the hard tyre early on.
Antonelli vaulted to the top with his first push lap, a 1m36.924s, giving him a 0.129s advantage over team-mate George Russell. Leclerc subsequently split the pair with a 1m37.016s, with Isack Hadjar going top moments later on a 1m36.860s aboard his competitive Red Bull. Antonelli displayed his dominance once more by setting a 1m36.302s, five tenths above Hadjar.
Max Verstappen set a 1m36.580s at the end of the qualifying runs, with Red Bull having both cars inside the top three. Russell took fourth for Mercedes with Leclerc in fifth, 0.714s off Antonelli. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing