MOTOR RACING: Leclerc fastest for Ferrari on final day of F1 testing

Formula One wrapped up pre-season testing in Bahrain on Friday with Charles Leclerc fastest for Ferrari and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad pounding out a single-day record of 165 laps.

Leclerc's best time of one minute 31.992 seconds was 0.879 quicker than McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris, second on the timesheets, and fastest of the three-day second test.

Four-times world champion Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, 1.117 off the pace and pre-season favourite George Russell fourth for Mercedes and well off Kimi Antonelli's Thursday best of 1:32.803.

Leclerc was in the car all day, with teammate and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton watching from the garage, and completed 132 laps of the Sakhir circuit.

Alpine, last overall in 2025, had Pierre Gasly fifth fastest with Oliver Bearman sixth for Haas and Gabriel Bortoleto seventh for the Audi works team that has replaced Sauber on the starting grid.

Lindblad, the sole rookie this season, was ninth and set a record for laps in a single day in Bahrain with the Racing Bulls car looking solid with the new Red Bull engine. The most previously was 161 by McLaren's Oscar Piastri last week.

At the other end of the table, troubled Aston Martin completed only six laps with Lance Stroll scheduled to be in the car all day but failing to set a time with the team sidelined by a battery problem.

The 24-round season starts in Australia on March 8.

-Alan Baldwin/Reuters