F1 Testing Results: Max Verstappen beaten as F1 rival sets the tempo on Day 3

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Bahrain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 Testing Results: Verstappen beaten as F1 rival sets the tempo on Day 3

Charles Leclerc gave Red Bull's Max Verstappen plenty to think about after setting the fastest time of the final day of testing

GPFans Staff

Friday 23 February 2024 17:45 Updated: 13:54

Ferrari continued to lay down the gauntlet to Max Verstappen and Red Bull after Charles Leclerc topped the times on the final day of testing.

Leclerc set his quickest time of 1:30.322 on the C4 soft compound of tyres with George Russell only +0.046 behind the Monegasque in second.

For the second consecutive day, testing was stopped for over an hour after a drain cover came loose during on-track running with Sergio Perez, the one who caused the cover to come loose.

The drain cover is attended to during the testing delay

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Despite frantic work from the Red Bull mechanics and the team’s chief technology officer, Adrian Newey, to check for damage, Perez’s car was undamaged.

Perez handed the driving duties to teammate Max Verstappen for the second half of the day with the Dutchman setting the fourth fastest time of the day on the C3 medium tyres.

F1 Testing Results: Day Three

Below is the full classification from the third day of testing in Bahrain:

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:30.322, 74 laps
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - +0.046, 67 laps
3. Zhou Guanyu (Kick Sauber) - +0.325, 85 laps
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - +0.433, 66 laps
5. Yuki Tsunoda (RB) - +0.453, 53 laps
6. Alex Albon (Williams) - +0.662, 121 laps
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - +0.708, 91 laps
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - +0.837, 75 laps
9. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - +0.925, 71 laps
10. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) - +1.161, 53 laps
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) - +1.364, 89 laps
12. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - +1.677 49 laps
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - +1.716, 46 laps
14. Lando Norris (McLaren) - +1.786, 20 laps
15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - +1.827, 47 laps
16. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) - +2.731, 80 laps
17. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) - +2.757, 55 laps
18. Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber) - +3.206, 28 laps
19. Daniel Ricciardo (RB) - +6.693, 70 laps