F1 Bahrain Testing LIVE: George Russell leads Lewis Hamilton on final day

Bottas is back out lapping in his Cadillac and he's just improved his time. It's a 1m38.772s from the Finn, who stays 11th. 

Still just install laps for Bottas right now. Suggests Cadillac is still having a few teething issues. 

The answer to that is... no. 

And he's back out again. Will we get a sustained run this time?

And back in again...

Bottas is back out again. 

And he's back in the pits. So, just an install lap for Bottas for now. 

Typically, as I say that, a wild Bottas has appeared! Good job by Cadillac to get whatever the issue was fixed and the car back out with 90 minutes left in this session. 

No sign of Bottas yet since his stoppage earlier on. Just the eight laps for Cadillac at this stage.

We've already had two hours of running and it is Carlos Sainz leading the way in the mileage charts, lapping the Bahrain International Circuit over 40 times already in his Williams.

At the other end of the table, it's Valtteri Bottas, who managed just eight laps before his Cadillac conked out. We have not seen the Finn back in action since. 

Williams - 44 laps 
Racing Bulls - 41 laps
Mercedes - 35 laps 
Alpine - 34 laps
Red Bull - 31 laps 
Ferrari - 31 laps 
McLaren - 27 laps 
Audi - 26 laps
Aston Martin - 24 laps 
Haas - 21 laps
Cadillac - 8 laps 

Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen says the team have managed to fix some of the problems they had with their 2025 F1 car, which was the slowest in the field at times last year. 

“We know we have made a car that’s much better than last year," he told Sky Sports F1. "Some of the problems we had last year have been fixed with this car, which is great, and the drivers are enjoying that side of it.

“Everyone is on a voyage of discovery with these regulations. It’s hugely different for the drivers and teams. We are all learning.

“I’m confident we have made a much better car, the trouble is 10 others have also made a much better car. Where we stack up, I don’t know.”

Isack Hadjar, who will be back behind the wheel of the Red Bull this afternoon, has been speaking to Sky Sports about the first test. 

According to the Frenchman, the so-called 'big four' teams - McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari - will all be fighting it out for wins in 2026. 

"It's similar to the last couple of years in terms of ranking teams. It's still the big four teams fighting for wins I would say," he said. 

Here is the moment Valtteri Bottas ground to a halt in his Cadillac a little earlier on. 

Lance Stroll heads out again in the Aston Martin. He's put in 15 laps so far in a car he wasn't very complimentary of yesterday, noting that the team was around four seconds off the pace. 

Let's see if it can make any gains today.

As I say that, though, Verstappen is back in the pits. 

Only Colapinto, Piastri and Lawson on track right now. 

Max Verstappen may not like driving these new cars much, but he's sure getting the work in this morning. He's up to 26 laps. 

That face when your team-mate has just set the fastest time of the test so far!

Oscar Piastri has got his first time on the board and slots into seventh, just behind Lewis Hamilton, on a 1m37.667s. 

It's Valtteri Bottas, whose Cadillac has come to a stop out on track. That's consecutive mornings now that the yet-to-be-named Cadillac has broke down.