Russell tops Day 3 morning session at Bahrain test

George Russell set the fastest time yet in pre-season testing, topping Friday's morning session on Day 3 in Bahrain with a 1m 33.918s lap. The Mercedes driver led an intense session, outpacing Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari and Max Verstappen for Red Bull. Mercedes showcased improved performance after a challenging previous day, with Russell also completing significant mileage. The session saw various teams experimenting with aero rakes and flow-vis paint, while a red flag briefly interrupted proceedings due to Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac. Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls completed the most laps, highlighting teams' ongoing data collection ahead of the new season.