Bahrain GP Free Practice 3 - Glock on top

The final practice session ahead of qualifying is always a confusing one as some opt to run with a heavy fuel load in preparation for the final round of qualifying and some opt to run with a very light load as they simulate the first and second rounds of qualifying. Today at Sakhir was no exception with a number of drivers very much out of position from where we would normally expect.

Timo Glock suffered a mechanical problem with his Toyota right at the end of the session but the German racer had just posted a time of 1:32.605s, a time that would remain unbeaten in the final minutes of the hour long session. Glock, who has had very little luck this year, is one of those expected to be in the final top ten shoot-out and the battle for the pole position this afternoon.

Felipe Massa showed well on both the harder prime tyre and then the softer option tyre as he set the second fastest time in his Ferrari. Given the recent pace of the f60 package, it is pretty safe to assume that this was a low fuel run aimed to simulate the second round of qualifying.

Nico Rosberg had to be content with the third fastest time on this occasion as he continued to run the latest developments on the Williams Toyota package. Rosberg had proven the pace of the FW31 time and time again and will be aiming for a top five position in qualifying.

McLaren Mercedes do seem to have made a small gain this weekend and Lewis Hamilton was the first to run the option tyre this morning. Undoubtedly on a low fuel load the defending champion ended the session with the fourth fastest time, less than four-tenths of a second off the ultimate pace.

Kimi Raikkonen was fifth fastest in the second Ferrari ahead of Nelson Piquet in the leading Renault. Robert Kubica pulled a rabbit out of the hat late in the session to vault seventh fastest in his BMW Sauber ahead of Kazuki Nakajima in the second Williams, Jarno Trulli in the second Toyota and Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW Sauber.

Chinese Grand Prix winner and pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel was tenth fastest in his Red Bull Renault, undoubtedly content to lap with a relatively heavy race fuel load on board, confident that his RB5 package has the pace to clear the first two rounds of qualifying.

Heikki Kovalainen lost a little time at the start of the practice session with a minor mechanical problem on his McLaren Mercedes, but was soon on track and went on to record the 11th best time ahead of Fernando Alonso in the second Renault.

Once again Alonso languished at the bottom of the timesheets for much of the session and it was only a late push on the option tyre that saw him improve to 12th. Unlike team-mate Piquet, hoping to make it into the second round of qualifying for the first time this year, Alonso is focused on the third and final round.

Adrian Sutil was 14th best in his Mercedes-powered Force India ahead of the Brawn Mercedes duo of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The BGP 001 is a front-running car and at roughly a second off the ultimate pace, will have been running with race fuel levels on board.

Sebastien Buemi was 17th in his Toro Rosso Ferrari while team-mate Sebastien Bourdais had a mechanical problem on his STR4 limiting him to just one short stint early in the session. The Frenchman was 20th and slowest as a result behind Mark Webber in the second Red Bull Renault and Giancarlo Fisichella in the second Force India.