The Monegasque thus finished ahead of Lando Norris (McLaren), who clocked a 1:32.871s, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) with a 1:33.109s, and George Russell (Mercedes), who posted a 1:33.197s. All three ran on the C3 compound but failed to beat the fastest time on this tyre, which was held by Leclerc with a 1:32.655s. Behind them, Pierre Gasly recorded his best time of the day on the C5s, stopping the clock at 1:33.421s.

The softest compound was also used today for short runs by Alpine and Williams (Cadillac, however, did not repeat yesterday’s experiment). Of the four teams with the C5 at their disposal, Aston Martin was the only one not to use it. Adrian Newey’s team completed just six laps on C3s this morning before halting all track activity.

The leaders on the harder compounds were Gabriel Bortoleto on the C1 (1:37.294s) and Arvin Lindblad (Racing Bulls) on the C2 (1:35.238s). Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Alex Albon (Williams), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Franco Colapinto (Williams), and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) did not go out on the track today.

As seen yesterday, teams utilised the compounds for both performance runs and long-distance evaluations. Notable stints included 25 laps by Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) on C2s and 24 laps by Esteban Ocon (Haas) on C1s. The Frenchman was also the only driver to fit a set of Intermediates, running them for four laps to test front wing behaviour.

Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, commented: “The radical changes introduced to the cars have inevitably shifted the teams’ focus towards power units and aerodynamics rather than tyres over the last few days. The final stages of testing are usually dedicated to optimising the car-tyre package, but it is clear some teams haven’t reached that point yet.

“Generally speaking, track feedback has been consistent with our simulation expectations. Drivers were able to gain confidence with the entire Pirelli range through both performance trials and long runs, even using the C4 and C5 compounds which aren’t particularly suited to a circuit like Sakhir.

“Mechanical resistance appeared strong across all options, with no signs of graining or blistering. Degradation levels are almost certainly higher now than what we expect for the Bahrain race, when temperatures will be lower and cars more developed.

“A central theme this season will certainly be balancing temperatures between the axles, especially ahead of the first race in Melbourne. The lower loads of a street circuit might require more intensive tyre preparation or differentiated tyre blanket temperatures, particularly in qualifying.

“In any case, it will be interesting to discover in Australia how much teams have been ‘sandbagging’ their engine power to avoid showing their hand. We only have to wait a couple of weeks to see the true pecking order.”

This week, 20,693 kilometres were covered, predominantly on the C3 (61%), which remained the most popular compound across both blocks of testing. In total, the eleven teams covered 41,366 kilometres over the six days, more than the Earth’s circumference. Since Wednesday, 326 sets of slick tyres were used, bringing the total for the entire pre-season to 591 sets.

At the end of day five, Kimi Antonelli recorded a time of 1:32.803s, beating his teammate George Russell, who had lowered the benchmark for the entire grid yesterday.

In truth, that limit was surpassed by four more drivers today, demonstrating the progress teams have made on track. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) clocked a 1:32.861s, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) finished in 1:33.162s, Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) in 1:33.408 and Lando Norris (McLaren) in 1:33.453s. The last one was the only one in the group to set his time on the C4, while all others used the C3.

In the final hour of the session, Alpine, Cadillac, and Williams each tested the C5 during a run. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) extracted the best potential from the compound with a time of 1:33.818s. Piastri, meanwhile, was the driver who achieved the fastest times on the C1 and C2, with 1:36.576s and 1:33.624s respectively.

Team run plans are now more closely aligned with what was seen on track last week. Teams are working to find the most effective package for their cars, testing new aerodynamic solutions and setups.

Interestingly, some teams are already attempting to identify the delta between different compounds through consecutive performance runs, stepping down the tyre hardness each time.

There was no shortage of long runs, such as Audi’s 23 laps on the C1 or Red Bull’s equal distance on the C2. This morning, Albon also pushed the C4 for 17 laps using a set that had already completed six. The times obtained will be valuable for evaluating the potential use of this compound during future races.

Out of the 1311 laps completed today on a track that reached a peak of 45°C, the C3 was once again the most used compound with 729 laps (55%). This was followed in descending order by the C2, C1, C4, and C5 (with only 12 laps).

Six drivers did not take to the wheel today: Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Arvin Lindblad (Racing Bulls), and Carlos Sainz (Williams).

The five quickest laps of Wednesday were all set on the C3 compound, in track conditions very similar to those seen during the previous three days of running. Unlike last week, teams were able to select 24 sets of dry tyres from the full range of Pirelli compounds.

The C3 proved to be the tyre of choice, accounting for 72% of the total mileage with 842 laps completed. The C2 covered 227 laps (19%), while the C1 was used for 48 laps (4%). In terms of distance, the three compounds, starting with the C1, covered 259, 1,228 and 4,556 kilometres respectively.

While no team opted to run the C5, the C4 saw only limited use, mainly in the closing hours of the session as track temperatures began to fall. McLaren, Red Bull and Williams used the compound primarily for performance runs, completing a combined total of 47 laps (254 kilometres, 4% of the day’s running). The only exception was a 12-lap stint from Piastri on a set that had already completed seven laps.

Piastri also set the fastest time on the C4 (1:33.641) and the quickest on the C2 (1:34.067). The hardest compound, the C1, saw Russell post the benchmark lap of 1:37.094. Overall, teams appeared to have focused the day on evaluating different car set-ups through a series of short runs. Among the longer stints was a 15-lap run from Sergio Perez (Cadillac) on C1 tyres.

The notable absentee on track was Max Verstappen, the only driver not to take part in the day’s running, which concluded with a test of a new starting light sequence procedure.

Ambient temperatures were slightly cooler than last Friday, although track temperatures still peaked at 44°C. Air temperatures ranged from a low of 24°C to a high of 31°C. Track action resumes tomorrow from 10:00 to 19:00 local time.

While only the three hardest compounds in the Pirelli range were available last week, for the next three days, teams were able to select 24 sets from all five dry-weather options. Additionally, teams were permitted to carry over sets used for no more than 9 laps during the previous week.

The two most requested compounds were the C3 and C2, chosen by ten out of the eleven teams. Only Mercedes preferred to stick exclusively to the three hardest options already used in previous days. McLaren, Ferrari, Racing Bulls, Audi, and Haas added the fourth compound, the C4, to their selection.

Red Bull, Alpine, Williams, and Aston Martin opted for softer choices instead. Laurent Mekies’ team limited themselves to C2, C3, and C4, while Alpine and Williams also included the C5. Aston Martin is the only team to have chosen strictly the three softest compounds (C3, C4, and C5). The newcomer, Cadillac, spread its request across all available options: it is the only team to have at least one set of every dry compound.

Sessions will begin at 10:00 each day and conclude at 19:00. Spectators in the stands or watching the live broadcast can distinguish the tyres via a specific identification system designed for testing: C1 and C2 with white logos, C3 and C4 with yellow logos and C5 with red logos.

The two compounds sharing the same colour will be distinguishable because the harder of the two will feature a chequered flag pattern on the sidewalls. Therefore, only the C2 and C4 will lack this decoration, featuring only the Pirelli and P Zero logos.

Taking the full 24 hours of track activity from Wednesday to Friday into account, Antonelli and Russell are the only drivers to have broken the 1:34 barrier. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), who finished the day fourth, set the best times on the two hardest compounds, posting a 1:36.234s on the C2 and a 1:36.899s on the C1. However, these benchmarks still stand to the credit of Lando Norris (McLaren) for the C2 (1:34.669s) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) for the C1 (1:35.631s).

Following yesterday's trend, several teams focused on race simulations. Piastri pushed a set of C1s for 24 laps and a set of C2s for 22 laps. The longest runs on the C3 were completed by the two Mercedes drivers, with 18 laps each.

Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director: "These first three days of testing in Bahrain have been useful in confirming, following the shakedown week in Barcelona, that the results gathered during last year's development tests with mule cars are sufficiently representative. Compound characteristics seem to be in line with expectations and feedback from drivers has been positive. The new compounds have maintained good mechanical resistance, reducing the appearance of graining, as verified over the last few days, and seem to keep overheating under control.

It is clear that drivers are still adapting to the power delivery system. Evidence of some flat spots on the tyres suggests that drivers may have changed their approach to corners. On corner exit, by contrast, the electric power delivery tends to make the rear axle slip, increasing the surface temperature of the tyres and causing a slight loss of grip.

Next week, we expect teams to focus more on performance runs, though likely without revealing their full potential. Combined with the race simulations from these past few days, we will have a clearer picture of what to expect for the start of the season. This will allow us to refine the compound selections for races from Miami onwards, the first event for which tyres have not yet been shipped."

Throughout today’s 8-hour session, teams most frequently opted for the C3 compound, which covered 687 laps (48%). The C2 reached 431 laps (30%), while the hardest C1 covered 306 laps (21%). As expected, there were no surprises in these figures. Temperatures were slightly higher than on Wednesday and Thursday; the track reached 44°C (with a minimum of 27°C), while ambient air stayed between 27°C and 33°C.

Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), and Arvin Lindblad (Racing Bulls) did not drive today.

Across the three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, a total of 20.673 kilometres were covered by all cars, with 51% of that distance on the C3. Regarding sets used, the softest option (C3) saw 144 sets, compared to 79 for the C2 and 42 for the C1.

Teams and drivers now have a brief rest before the next session begins next Wednesday, again in Bahrain. While only the three hardest slick compounds were available this week, the next test will allow teams to choose an allocation of 24 sets including the full Pirelli range from C1 to C5. It will also be possible to carry over used sets of the first test week with no more than 9 laps on them.

The use of the three available slick compounds, the hardest in the Pirelli range and most suited to the Sakhir circuit, followed the same pattern as yesterday. The C1 accounted for 21% of today’s mileage, with a total of 259 laps completed. The C2 and C3 split the remaining laps: 28% (345 laps) for the former and 52% (649 laps) for the latter.

With Thursday’s session completed, the total number of tyre sets used rises to 87 for the C3, 49 for the C2 and 27 for the C1. No team chose to fit the Intermediates for installation laps today.

For most of the session, teams focused on set-up runs, but there were also some significant stints which, due to their length, could be representative of race conditions. Racing Bulls completed a 22-lap run on C1, Cadillac managed 19 laps on C2, and Ferrari completed 19 laps on C3.

The four drivers who did not take to the track yesterday ran today. Remaining in the garage this time were Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Esteban Ocon (Haas), Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari).

Weather and track conditions were very similar to those on the opening day, with track temperatures ranging between 25°C and 42°C and air temperatures between 24°C and 32°C. Testing resumes tomorrow at 10:00 local time and will conclude at 19:00.

Eighteen drivers took to the track, with temperatures ranging between 25 and 32°C, significantly higher than last year in Manama, when the mercury did not exceed 15°C. Track temperatures ranged from a low of 25°C to a high of 43°C.

Over the course of the eight hours of track activity, a total of 6,183 kilometres were completed. In this first round of testing (the second is scheduled for next week), teams are allowed to use only the three hardest slick compounds in the Pirelli range (C1, C2 and C3), which are best suited to the characteristics of the circuit, along with one set of Intermediates in case of wet conditions.

The C3 compound accounted for 53% of the laps, with 603 laps completed for a total of 3,262 km. The C2 was used for 382 laps (2,067 km), representing 33%, while the C1 covered 156 laps (844 km), equal to 14%. The set of Intermediates was fitted only by Esteban Ocon (Haas) for two installation laps at the start of the sessions.

In total, 11 sets of C1, 29 sets of C2 and 40 sets of C3 were used. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) completed the highest number of laps in a single run on the hardest compound (30 in total). The longest stints on C2 and C3 were completed by Max Verstappen (31 laps) and Esteban Ocon (25 laps), respectively.

Eight teams featured in the top ten of the timesheets. Norris set a 1:34.669, the fastest time of the day, achieved on the C2 compound. Behind him, on the softer C3 compound, were Max Verstappen (Red Bull) at +0.129s and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) at +0.521s. The fastest lap on C1 was also set by the Dutchman, with a 1:35.631.

Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and Ollie Bearman (Haas) did not take to the track. Testing continues tomorrow and Friday, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 local time.

The Sakhir circuit hosts the first three days from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 February, with a further three from Wednesday 18 to Friday 20 February. Cars can run on track from 10 am to 2pm and from 3pm to 7pm. Over the course of the six days, all Pirelli slick compounds will be available for testing, though not all at the same time.

For the three days of the first pre-season test, teams can only run the C1, C2 and C3 slick compounds. They can use up to 28 sets of dry weather tyres, while one set of Cinturato Intermediates will also be available to them.

For the second session, from 18 to 20 February, the full range of compounds from C1 to C5 will be available, each team able to use a maximum of 24 sets. No wet weather tyres will be supplied for the second session, but teams can carry over sets previously fitted at the first session, including used sets that have done no more than nine laps.

As in the past, teams have a free choice regarding the number of sets of each compound, within the maximum number permitted for each test and in accordance with the selection rules set for the for the first session.

In order to facilitate identifying the different compounds during these two test sessions, the logo on the C1 and C2 will be white, those on the C3 and C4 yellow, while the softest C5 will be red. In addition, the sidewall on the C1, C3 and C5 will feature a chequered flag in the banding, while the C2 and C4 will only bear the Pirelli and P Zero logos, with no additional markings.

Over the next three days, when only the first three slicks in the range will be used, there will therefore be two with white markings and one with yellow. The C1 and C2 can be identified because the latter will not have any banding, and the C3 will have yellow marking and banding. This identification system is only in use for these tests and will not be seen on race weekends.