F1 Bahrain test, McLaren finishes as favorite: recap of third day of testing. McLaren emerges as the true favorite at the end of F1’s three-day Bahrain test.

McLaren emerges as the true favorite at the end of F1’s three-day Bahrain test: Woking’s comments ahead of Australia.

McLaren dominates the Bahrain test: a recap of the third day of track sessions for the Papaya team in F1. After four productive sessions, Woking wraps up Friday in Sakhir on a high note. With a total of 142 laps, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completed the work program set by Andrea Stella. The team’s statements reflect both confidence and strong focus.

A few months ago, Andrea Stella made a promise: “We will try to make the championship a little more boring.” Today, as the checkered flag drops on Bahrain testing, that goal seems closer. The MCL39 does not appear to have significant weaknesses, shining on the Sakhir circuit. Oscar Piastri’s race simulation, despite worse track conditions compared to Thursday, remained at an excellent level.

It is still too early for definitive judgments. Only the Australian Grand Prix will provide a complete picture of the competitive landscape. However, the feeling is that Woking may have strong cards to play. In terms of lap times, Oscar Piastri finished fourth with a 1:29.940, while Lando Norris was only eleventh with a 1:30.943.

Piastri: “The car was practically perfect”

“Testing is over. I think these were three productive days. We tried a lot of things and learned a lot. Some things went well, others still need improvement, but that’s what testing is for. The car performed almost perfectly, which is a good starting point. We have a lot to review before Melbourne, but I believe we’ll get there in good shape.”

Norris: “Difficult conditions, but we worked well”

“This morning, track conditions were much more difficult due to the wind and temperature. Once I got comfortable, we were able to work on our plan and collect more data. Now we will put everything together and analyze all the information we gathered over the past few days to make sure we are ready for Melbourne.”

Stella: “We still have a lot of work to do”

“These have been three productive days here in Bahrain. We completed aerodynamic tests this morning before giving Lando and Oscar the chance to do some laps to better understand the car’s characteristics before heading to Australia. We also took the opportunity to make further setup changes to continue studying the MCL39’s characteristics.”

“The team here and in Woking has done an excellent job bringing our new car to the track and maximizing the time available this week. We have a lot to analyze and plenty to work on before the first race of the season in two weeks.”