F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Kimi Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli topped the final practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The session remained dry despite expectations of mixed weather conditions at the returning Sepang circuit.
Why it matters
This marks a significant recovery for the championship-leading Mercedes team after a difficult start to the race weekend.
Kimi Antonelli topped final practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to recover from a disappointing Friday for the championship-leading Mercedes outfit.
The Silver Arrows brought a heavily upgraded W17 to Sepang, but only managed second and fifth in FP1 and seventh and eighth in FP2 with other teams looking stronger.
But the dominant outfit of 2026 responded perfectly on Saturday with Antonelli going quickest on a 1m36.302s, two tenths quicker than Max Verstappen who set the pace in first practice.
This comes on the weekend that Sepang is returning to F1 for the first time since 2017, which was the final race of an 18-year stint where mixed weather conditions were characteristic.
Also covering this story
6 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Leclerc tops FP2 with Mercedes seventh and eighth
F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Verstappen pips Russell to top FP1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026: Max Verstappen tops first practice
Verstappen takes first 2026 pole ahead of Hamilton
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia LIVE: Practice Three & Qualifying
Three drivers facing grid penalties for F1's Malaysia return
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in