Ferrari set Bahrain track on fire

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen at a practice session ahead of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix in Sakhir on Saturday. (Photo: AP)

Sebastian Vettel topped the times ahead of his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen in Saturday’s third and final free practice ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

On a hot day in the desert, the four-time champion ended Mercedes’ domination at the desert track with a best lap of one minute and 31.689 seconds.

This lifted him 0.040 seconds clear of Finn Raikkonen who is seeking a first win at the Bahrain International Circuit where he has seven times appeared on the podium.

The Ferrari resurgence pushed the two Mercedes men down to third and fourth with Nico Rosberg and defending champion Lewis Hamilton four-tenths off the leading pace.

Rosberg had been fastest ahead of Hamilton in both sessions on Friday, but the hotter weather changed the track conditions in Ferrari’s favour.

Valtteri Bottas was fifth fastest for Williams ahead of Frenchman Romain Grosjean, who impressed again in the new Ferrari-powered Haas car.

Russian Daniil Kvyat was seventh for Red Bull ahead of Mexican Esteban Gutierrez in the second American Haas car, Felipe Massa in the second Williams, sporting a new shorter nose section, and Australian Daniel Ricciardo in the second Red Bull.

After the cool conditions on Friday, final practice was run in more familiar weather with a vast blue sky, sunshine and an air temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. The track temperature at the Bahrain International Circuit was 38 degrees.

Once the action began, Ricciardo was the first driver to set a flying lap time after 10 minutes before being overhauled by Perez and then the two Mercedes men with identical times.

Bottas and then Raikkonen took over at the top of the times, the flurry of action confirming the teams’ anxiety to make the most of the changed conditions.