The new F1 season is approaching fast! The countdown is on to the opening weekend in Melbourne. But before the fight for the world championship truly begins, Max Verstappen and his peers will spend two weeks testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. After the closed shakedown in Barcelona, these tests are open to the public.
The first three-day winter test in Bahrain takes place between 11 and 13 February. It is customary that every driver gets one and a half test days. The internal allocation is decided by the teams themselves. Fans of Max Verstappen didn’t have to wait long; the Dutchman was already on track on Wednesday and climbed back into the RB22 on Friday morning.
The third morning session in Bahrain was primarily about racking up laps. Liam Lawson led the way in that department: the New Zealander completed 84 laps. George Russell, meanwhile, posted the new fastest time of the week. With a 1:33.918, the Brit became the first driver to dip below 1:34.000.
Line-up for Friday afternoon
| Team | Driver |
| McLaren | Oscar Piastri |
| Mercedes | Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
| Red Bull | Isack Hadjar |
| Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton |
| Williams | Alexander Albon |
| Racing Bulls | Liam Lawson |
| Aston Martin | Lance Stroll |
| Haas | Esteban Ocon |
| Audi | Nico Hülkenberg |
| Alpine | Franco Colapinto |
| Cadillac | Sergio Pérez |
