George Russell ended the third and final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain on top, just pipping Max Verstappen to P1 with a lap time of 1m 29.545s. The Mercedes driver had started the session behind Verstappen, but managed to overtake him in the dying moments.
Verstappen’s fastest time was 0.021s slower than Russell’s, giving Mercedes an early lead in the championship battle. Russell’s teammate Kimi Antonelli also showed promise for Mercedes, finishing ninth.
Haas’ Esteban Ocon rounded out the top eight with a consistent drive, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris completed the top ten.
Despite some drivers experiencing issues on track, including Verstappen and Ocon triggering yellow flags after spins, Russell secured his first pre-season testing win. The focus now shifts to the Australian Grand Prix, set to take place on March 14-16.
Rounding out the bottom of the top ten were Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda and Lewis Hamilton, who finished seventh and sixth respectively.
Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/russell-goes-fastest-on-final-day-of-pre-season-testing-in-bahrain.67AiLxrLTO5aQJ01DsIaZs