LECLERC SEALS F1 PRE-SEASON TESTING WITH ASTONISHING LAP TIMES

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of the day and of the whole preseason, as Ferrari finished the tests looking strong and consistent. George Russell was quick in the afternoon after a problem stopped Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes earlier. Aston Martin was the negative surprise: Lance Stroll completed only six laps after yesterda’s problems with Honda’s engine.

This was the sixth and final day of testing in Bahrain, closing an intense preseason. The top four teams, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren, still look the strongest, but without a specific order. Aston Martin, however, appears to be struggling just two weeks before the season starts.

Aston Martin could not complete long runs. Honda confirmed that Fernando Alonso’s issue was related to the battery, and with limited spare parts, the team focused only on short stints. Six laps in total was a tough result and shows how difficult their preseason has been. Next stop: Australia.

The morning started well for Ferrari, with Leclerc leading the times ahead of Antonelli and Oscar Piastri. Haas also caught attention by running intermediate tyres on a dry track as part of an aerodynamic test.

The only major interruption came when Antonelli’s Mercedes stopped on track. It was the first serious issue for the W17, a car seen as a favorite for Australia. Still, Russell was solid in the afternoon.

Williams had a productive day. Sainz focused on mileage rather than headline lap times, even with the soft C5 tyre. In testing, reliability and distance matter most.

In the end, the afternoon turned into a push for fast laps. Russell was quick and consistent, but Leclerc stood out. He set the best lap of the preseason in Bahrain and completed 125 laps, raising hopes for Ferrari ahead of the new season.

At the start procedures, Ferrari powered cars looked to be the best once again, as the smaller turbo fit in the power unit helps have less turbo lag, but compromises straight speed.

Next stop is Melbourne in two weeks.

Day 3 results:

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