LIVE | The third free practice session for the Sakhir Grand Prix!

F1 News

5 December 2020 at 13:30
  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

On Friday, George Russell topped the timesheet not once, but twice. Russell, who is driving the Mercedes car this weekend after Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19, is battling the front-runners for the first time in his Formula 1 career. However, Toto Wolff is not satisfied with Mercedes' long runs on the outer loop of the Bahrain International Circuit. 

FP3 Liveblog

 

George Russell in the Mercedes

On Monday, Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19. The 2020 World Champion is therefore forced to sit on the sidelines in quarantine. It's unsure whether the Brit will make a recovery in time for the final race of the season next weekend. In the meantime, George Russell moves up to the Mercedes team and will be replacing his fellow countryman. Russell will partner up with Valtteri Bottas. 

As a result, this leaves Russell's seat at Williams available for 25-year-old Jack Aitken. He will team up with Nicholas Latifi in Bahrain this weekend. 

And Romain Grosjean will not be racing after sustaining second-degree burns to his hands in his crash on lap one of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pietro Fittipaldi will be replacing Grosjean for the race this weekend. Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time F1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, makes his Formula 1 debut. 

Spectacle at night

The Outer Track of the Bahrain International Circuit is a true spectacle. A short, fast lap and 20 cars that have to manoeuvre past each other. It is a pleasure for the fans, but a number of drivers were not satisfied with the short layout of the circuit.

Russell appears to be the man to beat. Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon are also very fast, but both could not come under the time of the young Brit. Mercedes' speed was not great over longer distances according to Wolff. 

Final practice before qualifying

During the third free practice, most drivers will choose to try qualifying simulations. FP3, therefore, seems to give the best indication of how everyone is doing just before the start of qualifying.