From eighth to fastest: Kimi Antonelli finds his Sepang rhythm ahead of Bahrain GP qualifying

Kimi Antonelli, the current championship leader, finally found his footing at Sepang ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver, who had been eighth fastest in second practice, managed a late lap of 1 minute 36.302 seconds on soft tyres to outpace Max Verstappen and set a new benchmark.

Verstappen, the four-time world champion and last man to win an F1 race at Sepang in 2017, secured second place, with Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar in third. Antonelli's Mercedes teammate and title rival George Russell finished fourth, trailing Antonelli by a significant margin of 66 points. Despite challenging tyre conditions, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton remained cautiously optimistic, stating that his lap felt "pretty decent" given the tyre situation.

Reigning world champion Lando Norris and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri rounded out the top 10, with Piastri running on medium tyres to secure eighth place. The session briefly halted due to debris tangling around Oliver Bearman's Haas car, leading to a red flag and a temporary halt. Antonelli's improved performance marked a notable contrast to his struggles during the previous day's practice session.