Bahrain GP: FP3 and little change for Williams Racing


By Andrew Hooper
March 27 2021

The final practice session for the 2021 Bahrain GP would again see both Williams Racing drivers finish down the order. George Russell would finish the session in 17th while team-mate Nicholas Latifi was last in the times. Both drivers would only use the soft tyre during the session with both drivers completing several short runs prior to completing their qualifying simulations. As for qualifying getting past Q1 is most likely going to prove to be a difficult time for Williams Racing.

 
 Williams Racing Bahrain GP Saturday Practice
 
Latifi
 

Team Summary:
The hour Saturday practice would commence with Tsunoda out first using the soft tyre. But he would pit without setting a time. With ten minutes of the session completed next out was Bottas on the soft tyre. Alonso on the medium would join him as Bottas started a flying lap. Both Ferrari's were next out running on the hard tyre. More drivers were coming out including the first of the Williams. Both Haas cars were now running with close to twenty minutes of the session completed. Sainz would set a 1m:33.931 to go quickest from Bottas and Alonso. The second Williams would also appear also using the soft tyre. Hamilton on the soft tyre was now quickest with a 1m:32.933 from Sainz and Alonso. Nicholas was fourth followed by Bottas and both Haas cars.

Leclerc was now in fourth with the Williams pair fifth and sixth. Perez was now second behind Hamilton with the Ferrari's third and fourth. But Verstappen would move to the top of the times from Hamilton and now the McLaren of Norris. Giovinazzi was fourth with Verstappen on the hard and the rest of the top four all on the soft. On the soft Gasly would move into second ahead of Hamilton. Norris was now fourth followed by Perez, Giovinazzi, Raikkonen, Sainz, Ricciardo, and Leclerc tenth. The Williams drivers were now 13th and 16th with twenty minutes remaining. But they would improve to be 9th and 13th after what looked like their qualifying simulations.

At the front it was now Hamilton with a 1m:31.316 from Bottas and Sainz. But Perez was now third ahead of Sainz. Gasly was now second with eight minutes remaining but this would become third as Verstappen went fastest with a 1m:30.577. Perez was now fifth and the Williams pair were 12th and 17th. But this would become 15th and 19th as both Williams drivers returned for a final run. As others went faster the pair were now 17th and 20th. With the end of the session this is where they would end. The top ten would be Verstappen, Hamilton, Gasly, Bottas, Perez, Sainz, Raikkonen, Ocon, Stroll and Ricciardo tenth. Not an unexpected result for the Williams team overall but Nicholas been behind both Haas cars is a bit of a concern.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would be the first Williams to leave the pits using the soft tyre. Nicholas would set a 1m:35.370 to be a temporary fourth. He would improve with a 1m:35.264 to currently be sixth behind his team-mate. He would pit having dropped to tenth after a five lap run. He would return currently 11th. But would pit after a single lap again returning after a brief stop. Nicholas was now 15th and had pitted again. But he would return again on the soft tyre now 17th. Nicholas would set a 1M:33.959 to move up to 13th. But he would drop to 16th as he pitted. A quick return but he would return to the pits currently 17th. This would become 20th as the session came down to the final minutes. And he would remain in this position as the session ended.

George Russell:
George would come out for his first run using the soft tyre. George would set a 1m:34.768 to be third. He would drop to fifth and would pit after a three lap run. But George would quickly return on used soft tyres currently 9th. He would drop to tenth and having pitted after another three lap run would drop to 12th. This would become 13th as he returned still on the soft tyre. He would set a 1m:33.323 to be ninth. He would pit but return having dropped to tenth with thirteenth minutes remaining. George would pit after a short two lap run. He would drop to 17th as the session drew to a close. He would remain in this position with the end of the session.

 
Russell
 
Cla # Driver Chassis Engine Laps Time Gap Interval
1 33  Max Verstappen
Red Bull Honda 11 1'30.577
2 44  Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes Mercedes 14 1'31.316 0.739 0.739
3 10  Pierre Gasly
AlphaTauri Honda 13 1'31.583 1.006 0.267
4 77  Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes Mercedes 16 1'31.855 1.278 0.272
5 11  Sergio Perez
Red Bull Honda 11 1'31.908 1.331 0.053
6 55  Carlos Sainz Jr.
Ferrari Ferrari 16 1'32.108 1.531 0.200
7 7  Kimi Raikkonen
Alfa Romeo Ferrari 15 1'32.224 1.647 0.116
8 31  Esteban Ocon
Alpine Renault 11 1'32.423 1.846 0.199
9 18  Lance Stroll
Aston Martin Mercedes 13 1'32.431 1.854 0.008
10 3  Daniel Ricciardo
McLaren Mercedes 12 1'32.477 1.900 0.046
11 16  Charles Leclerc
Ferrari Ferrari 17 1'32.482 1.905 0.005
12 99  Antonio Giovinazzi
Alfa Romeo Ferrari 11 1'32.500 1.923 0.018
13 22  Yuki Tsunoda
AlphaTauri Honda 15 1'32.709 2.132 0.209
14 5  Sebastian Vettel
Aston Martin Mercedes 15 1'32.755 2.178 0.046
15 14  Fernando Alonso
Alpine Renault 15 1'32.820 2.243 0.065
16 4  Lando Norris
McLaren Mercedes 10 1'32.860 2.283 0.040
17 63  George Russell
Williams Mercedes 14 1'33.323 2.746 0.463
18 47  Mick Schumacher
Haas Ferrari 14 1'33.422 2.845 0.099
19 9  Nikita Mazepin
Haas Ferrari 14 1'33.622 3.045 0.200
20 6  Nicholas Latifi
Williams Mercedes 16 1'33.959 3.382 0.337
 
Latifi
 

Bookmark or share this story with: