Verstappen leads opening practice in Malaysia as Leclerc tops second session
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc set the fastest times across Friday practice in Sepang as Formula 1 returned to Malaysia for the rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix.
Verstappen leads opening session at Sepang
Max Verstappen opened the race weekend at the Sepang International Circuit by setting the fastest lap time in the first free practice session. The Red Bull Racing driver recorded a lap of 1:37.520 on soft tires, finishing 0.383 seconds clear of second-placed George Russell in the Mercedes. Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar finished third, 0.783 seconds off the top time. Charles Leclerc placed fourth for Ferrari with a gap of 0.847 seconds, followed by current World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli in fifth at 1.060 seconds back. Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six in the second Ferrari, ending the opening hour 1.070 seconds adrift of Verstappen.
- George Russell
- 0.383 s
- Isack Hadjar
- 0.783 s
- Charles Leclerc
- 0.847 s
- Kimi Antonelli
- 1.06 s
- Lewis Hamilton
- 1.07 s
Leclerc tops second practice amid tire strategy splits
In the second practice session, Leclerc moved to the top of the timing sheets with a lap time comparable to Verstappen's benchmark from the morning session. Leclerc posted the fastest time, finishing 0.099 seconds ahead of Hadjar, who conducted his qualifying simulation on the soft tire compound. Lando Norris took third place, roughly a tenth of a second behind Leclerc, to round out the top three. Verstappen finished the session in fourth place with a lap of 1:37.875, roughly 0.2 seconds slower than Leclerc. This ranking resulted from differing tire strategies across the paddock, as Verstappen did not fit the soft tire compound during the second session after consuming several sets during the opening practice. Mercedes drivers Russell and Antonelli similarly bypassed soft-tire runs in the afternoon.
- Max Verstappen sets the fastest time of 1:37.520 ahead of George Russell.
- Dark cloud cover gathers over two and a half hours without bringing heavy rain.
- Liam Lawson reports brief rain drops as drivers head out on track.
- Charles Leclerc finishes fastest as Verstappen completes race simulations on medium tires.
Weather threats and track conditions
Weather conditions shifted rapidly between the two Friday practice sessions near Kuala Lumpur. Clear blue skies observed earlier in the day were replaced by dark cloud cover within two and a half hours, prompting drivers to queue at the pit exit to log dry laps. Although Liam Lawson briefly reported light rain falling on the track surface, the heavier rainfall anticipated by weather forecasts stayed away from the circuit. The dry running ensured that Formula 1 drivers have still not completed a single competitive lap in wet conditions this season. Teams instead conducted their evaluation programs under dry but demanding conditions at the Sepang venue.
Circuit return and weekend outlook
After lodging initial complaints about a bouncing car early in the afternoon session, Verstappen shifted Red Bull's program toward race preparation for Sunday. Running on medium tires with a high fuel load, the four-time world champion recorded consistent lap times that led the field throughout long-run simulations, matching and exceeding the pace shown by Russell and Antonelli. The race weekend represents the return of Formula 1 to Malaysia after a nine-year absence, with Sepang stepping in after the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix to stage the event under the Bahrain GP banner. Verstappen stands as the most recent winner at Sepang, having won the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017.
