Antonelli leads final practice in Sepang as Mercedes recovers
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in the third practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, improving on a modest Friday performance.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli recorded the quickest lap in the third practice session (FP3) for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, posting a time of 1:36.302. The result marked a turnaround after the team’s modest Friday, where its upgraded W17 car managed only second and fifth in the first session and seventh and eighth in the second.
Antonelli’s lap was two tenths faster than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had topped the opening practice. The session was run on dry conditions with the hard tyre, the compound expected for the race, after earlier sessions saw tyre degradation affect lap times on the hot, low-grip surface.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who set the fastest time in FP1, finished fifth, 0.714 seconds behind Antonelli. Mercedes teammate George Russell was second, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar briefly led before Antonelli reclaimed the top spot. Lewis Hamilton placed sixth and McLaren’s Lando Norris seventh.
Sepang returns to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2017, and the practice sessions provided the first on-track data for teams ahead of the 2026 race.