Kimi Antonelli topped final practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, finishing 0.278 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver leads the championship by 66 points from George Russell. Red Bull remain a threat despite Mercedes bringing their biggest upgrade package since Canada.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struggled in fifth and sixth for Ferrari. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were seventh and eighth for McLaren. The race weekend is notable for F1 returning to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with extreme heat and humidity creating tyre challenges.
Alpine's Franco Colapinto was ninth, while Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad was 10th. A brief red flag halted proceedings due to debris on Oliver Bearman's Haas. Fernando Alonso was 12th for Aston Martin, and Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto 11th.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing