Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Friday, outpacing Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris during a dry afternoon at the Sepang International Circuit ahead of Sunday’s race.
Charles Leclerc Leads Friday Practice in Malaysia as Red Bull Shows Strong Long-Run Pace
Formula 1 returned to the Sepang circuit for the first time since 2017 under unusual scheduling circumstances as the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds were cancelled earlier in the year due to conflict in the Middle East. Bahrain organizers arranged to hold their event in Malaysia, featuring traditional Bahraini activities, a Bahrain Grand Prix trophy, and rosewater instead of champagne on the podium.
On track, drivers faced sweltering conditions with track temperatures exceeding 60 degrees Celsius alongside high humidity and an abrasive track surface. Early weather radars threatened heavy rain with up to a 90 percent chance of showers, prompting teams to send cars out quickly when the pit lane green light appeared at 1600 local time. The heavy downpour ultimately held off, leaving the circuit dry.
Leclerc posted a fastest lap of 1 minute, 37.528 seconds to finish 0.099 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar during the second practice session. McLaren driver Lando Norris followed in third place. Max Verstappen placed fourth, having skipped the soft-tyre runs during the closing stages to focus on race simulations on medium compounds as rain threat loomed.
Tyre Degradation and Grid Penalties Shape the Sepang Paddock
The circuit’s abrasive asphalt and aging surface put tyres through heavy wear across both practice hours. Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad noted the driving demands mirror those in Bahrain due to similar levels of degradation. Technical director Pierre Wache noted that Red Bull’s new package was performing better across diverse corner types than previous iterations.
Several drivers carry grid penalties heading into the weekend. Isack Hadjar will drop five places for exceeding his permitted engine parts allocation while Franco Colapinto faces a 15-place penalty for taking a new power unit and for causing a restart collision at the previous round in Azerbaijan. Arvid Lindblad will start from the back row after receiving penalties for new engine, turbo, and exhaust components.
Mercedes Evaluates Major Upgrades While Verstappen Targets Elusive Victory
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli spent Friday evaluating the team’s first major upgrade package since June’s Canadian Grand Prix, managing seventh and eighth fastest headline times in the second session. Russell reported feeling downforce in corners but emphasized that tyre overheating and degradation remained the primary hurdles to clear overnight.
Max Verstappen arrives in Malaysia seeking his first win of the season to avoid a winless campaign for the first time since his 2015 rookie year. Standing sixth in the drivers’ standings, Verstappen recorded four runner-up finishes across his last eight races while trailing championship leader Antonelli by 66 points following last weekend’s race in Baku.
Earlier in the day, Max Verstappen set the pace in opening practice with a lap of 1:37.520, edging George Russell by 0.383 seconds, while Isack Hadjar finished third. During the afternoon session, a late incident occurred when Gabriel Bortoleto brought out the yellow flags and a Virtual Safety Car after coming to a halt at the side of the track due to a transmission failure in his Audi. The session also featured a close moment between Bortoleto and Lewis Hamilton, resulting in the Ferrari driver taking a fifth-place finish ahead of stewards reviewing an alleged impeding incident. Hamilton reported visibility issues with his right mirror after the near miss.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc demonstrated strong pace by recording an average lap of 1:44.582 on soft tyres during his long-run simulation, making him slightly quicker than his nearest competitors. McLaren’s Lando Norris maintained consistent speed with an average of 1:44.989, finishing his stint with three consecutive laps under 1:45.
Aston Martin enjoyed a productive Friday as Fernando Alonso placed 15th, benefiting from medium- and high-speed corners that suited their B-spec car better than the layout in Baku. Teams will analyze their collected data ahead of Free Practice 3 on Saturday at 12:30 local time, followed by Qualifying at 16:00.
