Bahrain – FP3: Hamilton on Top, Vettel Very Close

Summary:

At the lights out, the two Manor cars are the first to take the track just ahead of the Ferraris. Romain Grosjean follows. The Frenchman did not run during the first free practice session yesterday and was not too happy with his performance during FP2 on the circuit, where he claimed his first F1 podium in 2012.

The first benchmark time is set by Felipe Nasr’s Sauber at 1:38.095. The Brazilian is more than a second ahead of Jenson Button. The Briton had a difficult day yesterday, dealing with mechanical problems on his McLaren.

During his installation lap, Marcus Ericsson complains about the behavior of his car. According to him, there is a steering problem preventing him from turning right properly. His first lap time puts him more than 1.7 seconds behind his teammate.

The teams are running few laps at the start of the session. The conditions will be quite different during this evening’s qualifying and tomorrow’s race. According to the engineers, the track is currently seven to eight tenths off its optimal conditions.

In form during FP2, Pastor Maldonado takes the top spot by beating the time set by Felipe Nasr. The Venezuelan completed his timed lap in 1:37.962, while his teammate Romain Grosjean did his first timed lap in 1:38.267. 20 minutes after the session started, the Mercedes cars hit the track, quickly followed by Fernando Alonso.

Nico Rosberg quickly showcases his skills and places his McLaren at the top of the timesheet with a 1:37.599; his teammate Lewis Hamilton goes wide at the first corner, so his first flying lap will not be representative. Meanwhile, Pastor Maldonado lost an aerodynamic appendage in the first sector.

From his first lap on track, Sebastian Vettel takes the lead with a 1:37.222, but Kimi Räikkönen proves slightly faster, with a time of 1:36.973. Many drivers make mistakes during this session, as the track conditions are quite tricky due to a sandstorm that swept the circuit last night.

In difficulty since the start of the season, Daniil Kvyat causes the session to be interrupted midway. The Russian spun at the end of the first sector and got stuck in the gravel trap. The session resumes quickly, and for 25 minutes.

Some drivers returned to the track after this interruption, but they are waiting until the last moments to fit the soft tires to prepare the tires. Nico Hülkenberg is the first to take on this task and places his Force India in first position with a lap of 1:36.421.

The Indian single-seater does not hold the first place for long, as Nico Rosberg sets a promising time of 1:34.968, but the German is quickly beaten by his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who completes his flying lap in 1:34.599. Sebastian Vettel positions himself between the two Mercedes. Daniil Kvyat’s single-seater is back in the garage. The Austrian team tries to send their driver back on track before the end of the session.

Kimi Räikkönen moves up to fourth position, six-tenths behind Lewis Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas is fifth ahead of Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hülkenberg, and Felipe Nasr.

2015 Bahrain Grand Prix – Free Practice 3