Antonelli fastest in Bahrain GP final practice at Sepang
7 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Oct 3, 2026, 6:20 AM
Last updated Oct 3, 2026
Kimi Antonelli secured the fastest time in the final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on October 3. He clocked a time of 1m36.302s, outpacing Max Verstappen by two tenths of a second. The performance comes after a challenging Friday for the Mercedes team, who had struggled to find pace in the earlier sessions, finishing second and fifth in FP1 and seventh and eighth in FP2. Antonelli's rapid final lap helped recover the team's confidence ahead of qualifying. The session maintained dry conditions despite previous expectations of mixed weather for the race weekend, with several drivers working on tire strategies during practice.
- •Antonelli finishes FP3 with a lap time of 1m36.302s.
- •Verstappen follows in second, two tenths slower.
- •Mercedes struggled on Friday, finishing low in both prior sessions.
- •The final practice was dry, contrary to expectations for mixed weather.
- •Antonelli's strong performance boosts team morale ahead of qualifying.
- 6:42 AMESPN F1 — Antonelli goes fastest in final practice in Malaysia
- 6:03 AMYahoo Sports — Kimi Antonelli sees off Max Verstappen to top final Bahrain practice
- 5:42 AMRacer — Antonelli moves Mercedes to the top of the order in Bahrain FP3 at Sepang
- 5:42 AMAutosport — F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
- 5:40 AMMotorsport.com — F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Kimi Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
- 5:40 AMYahoo Sports — F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Kimi Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
"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 ...Keep reading
"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 ...Keep reading
"Kimi Antonelli laid down an ominous marker ahead of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix after setting the pace in final practice. Antonelli, who leads George Russell by 66 points in the world championship with eight scheduled rounds left, saw off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.
Sources
External links- ESPN F1Oct 3, 2026, 6:42 AMAntonelli goes fastest in final practice in Malaysia
Kimi Antonelli produced an impressive final lap in the closing stages of final practice to go quickest at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia.
- Yahoo SportsOct 3, 2026, 6:03 AMKimi Antonelli sees off Max Verstappen to top final Bahrain practice
Kimi Antonelli laid down an ominous marker ahead of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix after setting the pace in final practice. Antonelli, who leads George Russell by 66 points in the world championship with eight scheduled rounds left, saw off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.
- RacerOct 3, 2026, 5:42 AMAntonelli moves Mercedes to the top of the order in Bahrain FP3 at Sepang
Kimi Antonelli moved Mercedes to the top of the order in final practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, setting the fastest time of the weekend ahead of Max Verstappen.
- AutosportOct 3, 2026, 5:42 AMF1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
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 ...Keep reading
- Motorsport.comOct 3, 2026, 5:40 AMF1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Kimi Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
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 ...Keep reading
- Yahoo SportsOct 3, 2026, 5:40 AMF1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Kimi Antonelli recovers from tough Friday to top FP3
The F1 2026 points leader finished no higher than fifth on Friday, but he returned to the top for final practice at Sepang
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