Day 3 Overview

Drivers: Pierre Gasly, P5 / 1min 33.421secs / 118 laps

Circuit: Bahrain International Circuit, 5.412km, 15 turns

Conditions: Sunny and hot throughout the day, lowest temperature 21C, highest temperature 27C

Laps: 118 (57 in the morning session, 61 in the afternoon session)

KM: 639

Pierre Gasly: “It has been a very busy month for us, something which, in February of any Formula One season, is quite unusual. We have had 10 on-track days already in the A526 split across Silverstone, Barcelona and Bahrain and I am definitely feeling ready and excited to go racing once again. Normally at this stage of a season we have a day and a half in the car as preparation and then we go racing. This time, we have had four and a half days, which, with a new car is so important as there is so much to learn and understand. I am pleased with our work in the last month and it has been an incredible effort from everyone at the team. We have a lot to look at and there are certainly a number of areas where we need to work hard for us to find some improvements. I am feeling positive, pleased with all our hard work so far and I will spend two days at Enstone on the simulator and with the team next week to prepare for the return to racing. It is an exciting time and I look forward to putting in the hours ahead of Australia.”

Steve Nielsen, Managing Director: “With over 1000 laps completed across three different tracks, today brings to an end our pre-season preparations. These past few months have been very unique in modern Formula One terms with cars on-track as early as January and many key milestones along the way being met weeks, if not months, earlier than we've ever experienced in recent years. I have been very proud of the hard work from everyone at Enstone in designing, creating and developing the A526 along with our new colleagues from Brixworth in Mercedes-AMG. It has not been easy and, at times, we have faced huge challenges. Those challenges will not go away either as the development race is well underway to take this package in the best possible direction to be competitive. This week in Bahrain we have really focused on pushing the car more and more across a range of conditions as we edge closer to going racing once again. Only then, in Australia, by Saturday afternoon, will we truly know where we stand in the competitive order. Right now, though, we are pleased with our efforts in recent weeks. We have a reasonable package and a good baseline to work from, at least for the first few races of the season. Pierre and Franco have done a great job in executing run plans and giving us plenty of data to assess, so credit to them for their continued efforts. They are both excited to go racing again, as am I, and the whole team, and we will head to Melbourne ready to give it our all and begin what will no doubt be a fascinating 2026 season.”