F1 FP3 Times Today: Bahrain Grand Prix results - Horner leaves for FIA meeting as Sainz fastest

One intriguing sub-plot from an otherwise relatively uneventful FP3 session in Bahrain on Friday morning involved Christian Horner's presence on - and absence from - the Red Bull pit wall.

Sky Sports commentators revealed that the under-pressure team principal took a meeting with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem during the session, and also has a meeting lined up with Stefano Domenicali lined up on Friday.

However, things looked good on the track for Red Bull despite their team principal's divided attention, with only Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso going faster than Max Verstappen in the last running before qualifying.

Sainz topped the timesheets with some strong Ferrari pace - his team-mate Charles Leclerc fourth - as he looks to put himself in the shop window ahead of his impending free agency.

READ MORE: Journalist reveals Horner ‘messages’ LEAKED in anonymous email

F1 FP3 Results: Bahrain Grand Prix 2024

2. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin] - +0.141sec

3. Max Verstappen [Red Bull] - +0.238sec

4. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari] - +0.270sec

5. Lando Norris [McLaren] - +0.294sec

6. George Russell [Mercedes] - +0.366sec

7. Oscar Piastri [McLaren] - +0.386sec

8. Sergio Perez [Red Bull] - +0.424sec

9. Nico Hulkenberg [Haas] - +0.454sec

10. Lance Stroll [Aston Martin] - +0.572sec

11. Daniel Ricciardo [VCARB] - +0.625sec

12. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes] - +0.628sec

13. Yuki Tsunoda [VCARB] - +0.807sec

14. Kevin Magnussen [Haas] - +0.847sec

15. Alex Albon [Williams] - +1.141sec

16. Zhou Guanyu [Kick Sauber] - +1.176sec

17. Valtteri Bottas [Kick Sauber] - +1.272sec

18. Esteban Ocon [Alpine] - +1.300sec

19. Logan Sargeant [Williams] - +1.301sec

20. Pierre Gasly [Alpine] - +1.558sec

How does F1 Qualifying work?

The 60-minute qualifying session is split into three finite windows which provides a dramatic prelude to Saturday's big race.

The bottom five drivers are eliminated at the end of Q1, with a further five eliminated after Q2.

Then Q3 gives us a shootout between the remaining 10 drivers in the battle for positions at the front of the grid.

READ MORE: F1 Qualifying Today: Bahrain GP 2024 start times, schedule and ESPN TV

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