Carlos Sainz topped FP3 for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix making Ferrari the third different team to lead in three sessions after RB and Mercedes were strongest in FP1 and FP2.
However, the biggest news of the session happened off-track, with Christian Horner absent from the pit wall as the story around his investigation for inappropriate behaviour continues to unfold.
Horner was meeting FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem but did return trackside late on, in time to see Max Verstappen clinch third – the first time Red Bull have finished in the top three of a session this weekend.
Fernando Alonso in second and Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris completed the top five with Mercedes slipping from their 1-2 under the lights in FP2 – only George Russell cracked the top 10.
F1 2024 Bahrain GP – Practice 3 results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:30.824 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.141 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.238 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.270 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.294 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.366 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.386 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +0.424 |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +0.454 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.572 |
| 11 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | +0.625 |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +0.628 |
| 13 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | +0.807 |
| 14 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +0.847 |
| 15 | Alex Albon | Williams | +1.141 |
| 16 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | +1.176 |
| 17 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | +1.272 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.300 |
| 19 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | +1.301 |
| 20 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.558 |
