Kimi Antonelli dominated the final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, clocking in as the fastest driver at the Sepang International Circuit. He outpaced Max Verstappen by a margin of 0.278 seconds, setting the stage for an exciting pole position battle between Mercedes and Red Bull.

Leading the Drivers' Championship by 66 points over teammate George Russell, Antonelli rebounded from a challenging Friday to showcase his speed, while Verstappen's teammate Isack Hadjar secured third place, with Russell following in fourth. Both were over half a second behind Antonelli, who seemed to find a good rhythm ahead of qualifying scheduled for Saturday at 9 am.

In the second practice, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari had topped the charts but finished the final session in fifth, trailing by seven tenths. His teammate Lewis Hamilton came in sixth, providing positive feedback on his performance.

The McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took seventh and eighth, respectively, with Norris's best lap on the medium tires suggesting potential for improvement.

Tyre management remains a critical topic this weekend due to the rough track surface and high humidity, as F1 returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2017. Alpine's Franco Colapinto, facing a 15-grid place penalty, finished ninth, while Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten.

The session was briefly interrupted by a red flag due to debris on the track from Oliver Bearman's Haas.

Fans can catch the qualifying live on Sky Sports F1.