Charles Leclerc ended Friday practice fastest for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang after Max Verstappen led the opening session on Formula 1’s return to Malaysia.
Verstappen gave Red Bull an encouraging start by topping FP1 ahead of George Russell and Isack Hadjar. Leclerc then moved Ferrari to the front in FP2, beating Hadjar and Lando Norris as the expected rain stayed away.
The two sessions provided an early indication of a close battle between Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren, although Mercedes failed to show its full potential with its latest W17 upgrades.
Verstappen Leads Red Bull Charge in FP1
Formula 1 returned to Sepang for the first time since 2017, with the Malaysian circuit hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix. With teams holding little recent data from the track, most drivers headed out quickly to gather information.
Medium tyres were the popular early choice, although Red Bull immediately sent Verstappen and Hadjar out on softs. Verstappen established the early benchmark before the rest of the field began its qualifying-style runs.
Russell briefly moved ahead with a 1m37.903s, but Verstappen responded with a 1m37.520s. His lap put him 0.383s clear of the Mercedes driver.
Hadjar completed an impressive Red Bull session in third with a 1m38.303s, despite struggling with the low-grip surface during the opening stages.
The Malaysian heat also provided an immediate challenge, with air temperatures reaching 32C.
“This is the craziest I’ve ever been in my life with temperatures,” claimed Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto.
“Even more than Bahrain in FP1.”
Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, 0.847s behind Verstappen, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli took fifth after a less comfortable session than his team-mate Russell.
Hamilton followed in sixth, ahead of Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Nico Hulkenberg.
McLaren struggled for pace. Oscar Piastri finished 11th, 1.756s away from Verstappen, while reigning world champion Norris was another 0.017s behind in 12th.
Leclerc Moves Ferrari Ahead in FP2
Conditions remained dry for FP2 despite forecasts suggesting the chance of rain had climbed as high as 90%.
The threat encouraged all 22 drivers onto the circuit early, with teams keen to gather as much dry-weather data as possible.
Verstappen initially continued where he left off, setting a 1m37.785s on mediums to lead Russell, Leclerc and Antonelli.
Teams switched to soft tyres earlier than usual because of the rain threat. Leclerc took advantage and produced a 1m37.528s, which remained the fastest time of the session.
Hadjar continued his strong Friday by taking second with a 1m37.627s, only 0.099s behind the Ferrari.
Norris also made a significant improvement after changing his McLaren set-up following his disappointing FP1. The Briton jumped to third, 0.137s behind Leclerc.
Verstappen stayed on mediums and finished fourth, only 0.257s away from the benchmark, while Hamilton completed the top five for Ferrari.
Mercedes Unable to Show Full Soft-Tyre Pace In Practice
Mercedes entered the weekend with a significant upgrade package for the W17, but Russell and Antonelli both made mistakes during their soft-tyre attempts in FP2.
That left Russell seventh and Antonelli eighth, although their earlier medium-tyre pace suggested Mercedes still has more performance available.
Piastri also recovered from his difficult opening session to finish sixth, only 0.371s behind Leclerc. Lawson took ninth for Racing Bulls, while Gasly completed the top 10.
The final half of FP2 focused mainly on longer race simulations, meaning the leading times remained unchanged.
Bortoleto later caused a virtual safety car when his Audi stopped during the middle sector in the closing minutes, ending any realistic opportunity for late improvements.
Red Bull and Ferrari Set Early Sepang Pace
Friday produced different session leaders but several encouraging signs for Red Bull.
Verstappen topped FP1 and remained within 0.257s of Leclerc in FP2 despite setting his best time on medium tyres.
Hadjar finished third and second across the two sessions, continuing his strong form after his podium return in Azerbaijan.
Ferrari also ended Friday positively. Leclerc took the outright fastest time, while Hamilton finished inside the top six in both sessions.
Mercedes’ final positions in FP2 were less representative after Russell and Antonelli failed to complete clean soft-tyre runs. Russell’s second place in FP1 and the team’s competitive medium-tyre pace still suggest the upgraded W17 will feature near the front.
McLaren made progress between sessions, with Norris jumping from 12th in FP1 to third in FP2 and Piastri improving from 11th to sixth.
With Verstappen, Leclerc, Hadjar and Norris all showing competitive pace, the opening day at Sepang leaves the battle at the front finely balanced ahead of final practice and qualifying.
