# Antonelli Leads Red Bulls in Final Practice

> Antonelli edges Mercedes in Sepang practice as Red Bulls chase pace.
- Title: Antonelli Leads Red Bulls in Final Practice · RaceFans
- Summary: Antonelli edges Mercedes in Sepang practice as Red Bulls chase pace. Antonelli set fastest lap in Bahrain Grand Prix final practice, leading Mercedes by half…
- Keywords: antonelli, mercedes, red bulls, sepang, bahrain grand prix, ferrari, mclaren, alpine, aston martin, cadillac, formula 1, sports
- Source: RaceFans — https://racefans.net/2026/10/03/antonelli-leads-the-red-bulls-in-final-practice
- Published: 2026-10-03T05:41:44+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: antonelli, mercedes, red bulls, sepang, bahrain grand prix, ferrari, mclaren, alpine, aston martin, cadillac, formula 1, sports
## Antonelli leads practice
Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap in Bahrain Grand Prix final practice at Sepang International Circuit.
## Mercedes ahead of Red Bulls
Antonelli was well over half a second faster than his teammate George Russell in the final practice session.
## Red Bulls trail
Max Verstappen lapped almost three-tenths of a second slower than Antonelli during final practice.
## Ferrari lags behind
Ferrari drivers lapped seven-tenths of a second slower than Antonelli in Bahrain Grand Prix final practice.
## Track conditions
The Sepang International Circuit track surface was extremely abrasive, causing cars to pull stones off its surface.
## Hamilton's comment
Lewis Hamilton noted the tyres were not great, saying it felt like a decent lap despite being fractionally slower than Leclerc.
## Key takeaway

Antonelli set fastest lap in Bahrain Grand Prix final practice, leading Mercedes by half a second over Russell.