Verstappen and Leclerc Lead Sepang Practice as Antonelli Struggles in Malaysia

Verstappen and Leclerc pace Friday practice

Formula 1 returned to the Sepang International Circuit on Friday for the first time since 2017, with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc setting the fastest lap times across two free practice sessions. Verstappen led the opening morning session in his Red Bull with a lap of 1:37.520, which stood as the fastest time of the day. In the afternoon session, Ferrari driver Leclerc topped the classification with a lap of 1:37.528, missing Verstappen's benchmark by eight thousandths of a second. Red Bull displayed competitive pace across both single-lap runs and race simulations, with Isack Hadjar taking second place in the second session. Defending champion Lando Norris finished third for McLaren, while Verstappen placed fourth in the afternoon after running on harder compound tyres.

Antonelli struggles with Mercedes upgrades

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli experienced a difficult opening day in Malaysia despite Mercedes introducing extensive aerodynamic upgrades to his car. The 19-year-old Italian driver finished fifth in the morning practice and slipped to eighth in the second session, consistently trailing his teammate George Russell. Antonelli holds a 66-point lead over Russell in the drivers' championship standings following Russell's victory in Baku the previous weekend. Mercedes did not match the single-lap or long-run pace of Red Bull and Ferrari during either practice hour. To cope with cockpit heat in ambient temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and extreme humidity, Antonelli used an ice bath between running.

The return to Sepang under Bahrain branding

The event marks the return of Formula 1 to Malaysia after a nine-year absence, though it officially serves as the Bahrain Grand Prix. The race was relocated to Sepang following the cancellation of the desert rounds in Sakhir and Saudi Arabia in April 2026 due to the Iran war. Twelve of the 22 drivers on the grid are competing at the Sepang circuit for the first time in their careers. To maintain the identity of the host nation, organizers established a Bahrain Village for spectators, deployed more than 560 staff members from Bahrain, and replaced traditional podium champagne with Bahraini rosewater.

Weekend outlook and paddock developments

Verstappen enters the weekend seeking his first race victory of the 2026 season, having last won at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2025. The four-time world champion, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Wednesday, previously won at Sepang in 2017 for his second career victory and currently has 71 Grand Prix wins.

I want to win at least one race this year.

Further down the order, Audi driver Nico Hülkenberg recorded the 13th fastest time in the afternoon, while his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto stopped on track late in the session due to a mechanical issue. In the Ferrari garage, team principal Frédéric Vasseur received public backing from drivers Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc following paddock discussions regarding his leadership. The race begins on Sunday at 09:00 CEST, with teams facing uncertainty over tyre wear if heavy rain arrives over the weekend.