Leclerc dominates Ferrari's competition on the final test day - Ferrari's Leclerc dominates final F1 test as Aston Martin falters in Bahrain
The final day of Formula 1 pre-season testing saw mixed fortunes for teams in Bahrain. Charles Leclerc dominated the timesheets for Ferrari, while Aston Martin struggled with technical problems and cut their session short. The day's results gave a clear picture of early performance gaps before the season begins.
Leclerc set the fastest lap of the day, outperforming the rest of the field. He also completed two full race distances in Ferrari's new car, demonstrating both speed and reliability. His nearest rival, reigning world champion Lando Norris, finished second but was 0.817 seconds slower.
Max Verstappen took third place, 1.117 seconds behind Leclerc. Mercedes' George Russell followed in fourth, 1.205 seconds off the pace. Meanwhile, Aston Martin faced a difficult day, managing only six untimed laps due to a shortage of parts and battery issues.
The team ended their session more than two hours early, while Leclerc continued to push on track. The contrast highlighted the varying levels of preparation across the grid as teams finalised their setups ahead of the opening race.
Leclerc's performance signals Ferrari's strong start to the season, with both pace and endurance on display. Aston Martin's early exit raises questions about their readiness, leaving them with limited data before the first race. The results set the stage for what could be a closely fought championship.
