F1 testing schedule CHANGES on day three in Bahrain

The schedule for the third day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain changed after an early stoppage on Friday.

It came after the session was red flagged following another issue with a drain cover, as Sergio Perez ran over one in the same area that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc hit and destroyed one on Thursday.

With just around 30 minutes of the session elapsed, testing was halted as officials went through urgent track repairs and assessment, marking a longer delay than the previous day's hiatus.

READ MORE: How to shake up F1 pre-season after car launch time wasters

Third day testing schedule major change

After more than an hour of stoppage, it was announced that the session would be getting back under way at 11:45 local time (early hours of the morning in the United States) and, because of the delay, the lunch break was scrapped and day three's testing will run all the way to 4pm GMT as scheduled.

Carlos Sainz had set the fastest time of the day before the delay, with Lando Norris in second and Alex Albon in third.

The Spaniard set the pace on the second day with the fastest time of testing so far, while defending champion Max Verstappen topped the time sheets on the first day on Wednesday.

The F1 season itself gets underway at the same Sakhir International Circuit next week, with the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix taking place on Saturday 2 March.

READ MORE: Horner unfollows Verstappen as Red Bull investigation continues

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