The highly anticipated 2024 Formula 1 season burst into life at the Bahrain International Circuit, with Carlos Sainz Jnr of Ferrari demonstrating formidable pace to top the final free practice session (FP3) ahead of qualifying for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. His impressive lap of 1’30.824 firmly placed him at the summit, signaling Ferrari’s potential to challenge the established front-runners and inject an exciting element of unpredictability into the first qualifying shootout of the year.
Sainz’s fastest time in FP3 underscores a fascinating trend emerging from the Bahrain pre-season and practice sessions: a different team and driver has led each of the three free practice sessions. This dynamic suggests a highly competitive field, with varying car setups, engine modes, and driver approaches yielding different results across Friday and Saturday’s track action. Such an open competition is exactly what fans crave, promising a thrilling battle for pole position and, ultimately, for victory in Sunday’s main event.
The compact nature of the field in FP3 was particularly striking, with all 20 drivers separated by a mere 1.558 seconds. This incredibly tight margin, from Sainz’s blistering pace to Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at the bottom of the timing sheets, highlights the competitive parity in modern Formula 1 and the fine margins that will dictate success throughout the 2024 championship. Every tenth of a second will count, making strategic decisions and flawless execution more critical than ever.
Fernando Alonso continued to impress, guiding his Aston Martin to second place, just 0.141 seconds shy of Sainz’s benchmark. The veteran Spaniard’s performance, particularly in the crucial final ten minutes of the session, showcased both his enduring talent and the promising potential of the AMR24 chassis. His consistent presence at the sharp end of the grid positions Aston Martin as a genuine threat for strong points and perhaps even a podium finish in Bahrain.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen secured the third-fastest time for Red Bull Racing, posting his quickest effort while running in the slipstream of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. This strategic move by Verstappen, likely an attempt to gain valuable data on tow effects, resulted in a time that, while strong, still left him a quarter of a second behind Sainz. Leclerc, despite aiding his rival, still managed to secure fourth place, underscoring Ferrari’s overall strong performance in FP3. Red Bull’s ultimate pace remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, with many speculating they still have untapped potential.
The McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri also demonstrated solid form, with Norris placing fifth and Piastri seventh. Sandwiched between them was George Russell in sixth for Mercedes, indicating a tight battle among these competitive midfield teams (or rather, upper midfield, given their recent performance trajectories). The strong showing from McLaren suggests their 2024 challenger, the MCL38, is a significant improvement and could consistently contend for top-five finishes, adding another layer of intrigue to the fight at the front.
The remainder of the top ten was completed by Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, Nico Hulkenberg delivering a surprisingly strong performance for Haas, and Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin. Hulkenberg’s ninth place was a particular highlight, hinting at improved single-lap performance for the Haas VF-24, a welcome sign for the American outfit. The consistent presence of both Red Bulls, Ferraris, Aston Martins, and McLarens within the top eight points to a diverse competitive landscape at the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Most teams opted for a uniform approach to tyre strategy during the final hour of practice, predominantly utilizing the soft compound tyres. This common choice reflects the focus on optimizing qualifying performance, as the softest compound offers the most grip for a single flying lap. Red Bull, however, notably deviated from this trend, experimenting with the hard compound tyres early in the session. Max Verstappen’s immediate feedback, describing the hard tyres as “terrible,” provides an interesting insight into their performance characteristics and potential challenges should they be required for a longer stint in the race. This tyre data will be crucial for race engineers to finalize their strategies for Sunday.
Remarkably, the entire FP3 session unfolded without a single yellow flag incident, a testament to the drivers’ precision and the reliability of the new generation of Formula 1 cars. This clean session allowed teams to gather maximum data without interruption. Esteban Ocon completed the fewest laps, just 11, in his Alpine A524, reporting a concerning vibration under braking. Despite this issue and his limited running, Ocon still managed to out-pace his teammate Pierre Gasly, indicating some underlying potential in the Alpine package if their mechanical issues can be resolved. However, the Alpine team appears to be facing an uphill battle early in the season.
Further analysis of the speed trap rankings revealed intriguing insights into engine performance and aerodynamic efficiency. As previously hinted by Max Verstappen regarding Red Bull potentially not running their power units at full throttle on Thursday, both Verstappen and Sergio Perez featured prominently in the top six of the speed trap. Even more surprisingly, the Haas cars of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen registered as the quickest through the speed trap, suggesting strong straight-line speed from their Ferrari power units and/or low-drag aerodynamic setups. Conversely, both Mercedes and McLaren cars were among the slowest, indicating a different design philosophy focused perhaps on higher downforce, or perhaps simply a less aggressive power unit mode during practice.
The data from the third free practice session provides a tantalizing glimpse into the pecking order for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. While practice times are never a definitive indicator, Carlos Sainz’s performance, coupled with the tight margins across the grid, sets the stage for a truly electrifying qualifying session. Teams will now meticulously analyse every data point, from tyre degradation to engine mapping, to extract every ounce of performance for the critical battle for pole position.
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix Third Practice Session Results
Here are the detailed results from the third and final practice session at the Bahrain International Circuit, showcasing the top performers and the competitive gaps across the field.
| P. | # | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | SF-24 | 1’30.824 | 18 | |
| 2 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR24 | 1’30.965 | 0.141 | 18 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB20 | 1’31.062 | 0.238 | 16 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-24 | 1’31.094 | 0.270 | 17 |
| 5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL38 | 1’31.118 | 0.294 | 12 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W15 | 1’31.190 | 0.366 | 12 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL38 | 1’31.210 | 0.386 | 13 |
| 8 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB20 | 1’31.248 | 0.424 | 17 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | VF-24 | 1’31.278 | 0.454 | 13 |
| 10 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR24 | 1’31.396 | 0.572 | 17 |
| 11 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB-Honda RBPT | 01 | 1’31.449 | 0.625 | 13 |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | W15 | 1’31.452 | 0.628 | 20 |
| 13 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB-Honda RBPT | 01 | 1’31.631 | 0.807 | 14 |
| 14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | VF-24 | 1’31.671 | 0.847 | 20 |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW46 | 1’31.965 | 1.141 | 17 |
| 16 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber-Ferrari | C44 | 1’32.000 | 1.176 | 17 |
| 17 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber-Ferrari | C44 | 1’32.096 | 1.272 | 16 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | A524 | 1’32.124 | 1.300 | 11 |
| 19 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | FW46 | 1’32.125 | 1.301 | 16 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | A524 | 1’32.382 | 1.558 | 14 |
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix Combined Practice Times: An Overview of the Weekend’s Pace
Analyzing the combined times from all three practice sessions offers a broader perspective on team performance and consistency throughout the weekend. It allows for a deeper understanding of who truly showed pace and who might have been sandbagging or facing varying track conditions.
| P. | # | Driver | Team | FP1 time | FP2 time | FP3 time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’33.302 | 1’30.374 | 1’31.452 | 67 | |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’33.251 | 1’30.580 | 1’31.190 | 0.206 | 60 |
| 3 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’33.193 | 1’30.660 | 1’30.965 | 0.286 | 60 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’33.385 | 1’30.769 | 1’30.824 | 0.395 | 69 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’33.113 | 1’30.784 | 1’31.210 | 0.410 | 65 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’33.238 | 1’30.851 | 1’31.062 | 0.477 | 62 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | 1’37.938 | 1’30.884 | 1’31.278 | 0.510 | 63 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’33.868 | 1’30.891 | 1’31.396 | 0.517 | 63 |
| 9 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’33.268 | 1’31.113 | 1’31.094 | 0.720 | 67 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’33.413 | 1’31.115 | 1’31.248 | 0.741 | 67 |
| 11 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’32.901 | 1’32.608 | 1’31.118 | 0.744 | 62 |
| 12 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’33.583 | 1’31.333 | 1’31.965 | 0.959 | 60 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB-Honda RBPT | 1’32.869 | 1’31.516 | 1’31.449 | 1.075 | 62 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB-Honda RBPT | 1’33.183 | 1’31.881 | 1’31.631 | 1.257 | 67 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’37.477 | 1’31.764 | 1’31.671 | 1.297 | 72 |
| 16 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | 1’34.213 | 1’31.715 | 1’32.125 | 1.341 | 62 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’35.144 | 1’31.951 | 1’32.382 | 1.577 | 63 |
| 18 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’33.923 | 1’32.048 | 1’32.000 | 1.626 | 61 |
| 19 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’33.354 | 1’32.001 | 1’32.096 | 1.627 | 61 |
| 20 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1’34.807 | 1’32.027 | 1’32.124 | 1.653 | 57 |
Looking at the combined practice times reveals that Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton actually holds the fastest overall lap of the weekend, set in FP2. This highlights the varying conditions and strategic priorities across the sessions. While FP3 times are often the most representative of qualifying pace due to similar track conditions, the combined times show that Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Ferrari have all demonstrated front-running potential at different points. Red Bull, with Max Verstappen in sixth on combined times, appears to have kept some performance in reserve, making their true pace for qualifying and the race the subject of much anticipation. The stage is set for an epic season opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix News and Analysis
Stay updated with the latest developments from the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix and expert analysis:
- Tsunoda accepts he got “a bit heated” in team orders dispute with Ricciardo
- “We’re fighting with one arm behind our back”: Hamilton and Russell’s race radio
- Red Bull say RB20 draws inspiration from rivals in less obvious areas
- All cars finish two consecutive F1 races for first time ever
- “I don’t know what the car’s going to do every time I brake”: Leclerc’s race radio
Browse all 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix articles