Kimi Antonelli set the pace during Saturday morning’s final practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, outpacing Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar at the Sepang International Circuit as preparations ramp up for qualifying ahead of Sunday’s 56-lap race.
Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets during the third and final practice session at the Sepang International Circuit, clocking a lap of 1m 36.302s to lead the field ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. The strong Saturday morning performance marked a swift turnaround for Mercedes after the team described Friday’s running as toughest Fridays of the season
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Antonelli Leads Final Practice Session at Sepang
The final practice hour began at 1230 local time under hot and humid conditions, with Cadillac driver Sergio Perez heading out early as one of ten drivers present on the grid when the series last raced at Sepang in 2017. A red flag paused the session near the halfway mark due to track debris shed by Ollie Bearman’s Haas.
Traffic proved troublesome as drivers queued up in the pit lane for their qualifying simulations. Antonelli continued pushing his advantage on soft tyres, ultimately finishing nearly three tenths clear of Verstappen, who ended the session 0.278s adrift.
Television Broadcasting and Ticket Sales for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that Radio Televisyen Malaysia will broadcast the event live, providing an opportunity for citizens across the country to experience world-class racing at the Sepang International Circuit menerusi TV Okey, RTMKlik. The Prime Minister noted that the broadcast serves those who did not manage to secure tickets or subscribe to streaming services.
Anwar Ibrahim expressed his hope in a Facebook post that the live broadcast would give Malaysians in every corner of the country the opportunity to feel the thrill of a world-class race at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
The free-to-air television coverage and streaming options stem from a partnership with beIN Sports.
Antonelli and Verstappen Top Final Practice Classification
Behind the leading trio of Antonelli, Verstappen, and Hadjar, George Russell finished fourth with a six-tenths deficit to his teammate. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six, followed by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for McLaren. Franco Colapinto of Alpine and Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten.
Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto just missed out on the top ten in P11, sitting ahead of Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Liam Lawson, and Nico Hulkenberg. Bearman placed 17th, followed by Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez. Attention now shifts directly to qualifying, scheduled to begin at 1600 local time ahead of Sunday’s 56-lap main race.