Max to P2 in final practice for Bahrain Grand Prix

Published on 03 October 2026 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen set the second-fastest time during the final free practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The Dutchman waited a long time before heading out onto the track, but eventually slotted in behind Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen was two tenths of a second off the Italian. Apart from a brief red flag, the session was relatively uneventful. Max’s team-mate Isack Hadjar finished third, ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc.

It is hot in Sepang, with the thermometer reading 32 degrees, while the track temperature is considerably higher at 56 degrees. Free Practice 3 gets under way quietly, with only a handful of drivers heading out during the opening stages. It is not until after 15 minutes that the first frontrunners appear. Charles Leclerc is the first to bolt the hard tyres onto his Ferrari this weekend. On the abrasive track surface, which is described as sandpaper due to the high tyre degradation, the Monegasque records a 1:37.772, the fastest time at that point. Lando Norris is subsequently much quicker: the McLaren driver sets a 1:37.161 on the medium tyres, more than six tenths faster than Leclerc. All the other drivers who have taken to the track so far are running on the soft tyres. After 20 minutes, there are still nine drivers yet to set a time, including Max.

Halfway through the session, Oscar Piastri joins his team-mate. The Australian is also running on the medium tyres, but is three tenths slower than Norris. Around the halfway point of the session, the red flag is briefly shown because of a piece of rubber on the track, presumably from Oliver Bearman’s car. Once the red flag is withdrawn, Oracle Red Bull Racing decides to send Max out. Antonelli, Hamilton and Russell, who have also yet to set a time, take the opportunity to head onto the track. Max begins his first laps of the day on a new set of medium tyres. He posts a purple first sector and moves up to P4, two tenths behind Antonelli. At that point, the Italian is the fastest man on track on the soft tyres, ahead of Russell and Norris.

Just like the opening stages, the closing part of the session is relatively quiet. In the final minutes, Max, who reports some understeer over the team radio, manages to gain another two places. On the soft tyres, he moves into second place behind Antonelli, who has improved his time to a 1:36.302. We finish the third free practice session in Malaysia with Antonelli as the fastest man, followed by Max and Hadjar. Russell and Leclerc complete the top five.

Results third free practice Bahrain: