Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari an encouraging start to the unusual 2026 Formula 1 weekend in Malaysia by setting the fastest time in second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.
Leclerc clocked a 1:37.528 to finish just 0.099 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was only 0.137 seconds away in third. The tight gaps at the front made Friday’s running particularly intriguing, although the practice results still do not provide a clear picture of the competitive order.
Max Verstappen, who had topped the opening practice session earlier on Friday, ended FP2 fourth fastest. However, there was an important reason why his final position may not tell the whole story. The Red Bull driver did not complete a qualifying simulation on the soft tyre, instead setting his best FP2 time on the medium compound.
That means Ferrari’s one-lap advantage over Red Bull needs to be viewed carefully. Teams followed different tyre programmes throughout the session, making direct comparisons more difficult.
Leclerc puts Ferrari at the front
Leclerc’s lap of 1:37.528 came during the soft-tyre running and was enough to put Ferrari at the top of the FP2 classification.
Hadjar responded strongly for Red Bull, finishing just 0.099 seconds behind. Norris then placed McLaren third, continuing what has been a competitive-looking weekend for the team despite a less impressive FP1 classification.
Lewis Hamilton completed the top five for Ferrari, 0.305 seconds behind Leclerc. Oscar Piastri was sixth for McLaren, followed by Mercedes pair George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
Russell ended the session seventh with a 1:38.020, while championship leader Antonelli was eighth on a 1:38.060. Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
The result also highlighted why Friday practice at Sepang should not be judged simply by the order on the timing screen.
Verstappen had already shown his potential in FP1, recording a 1:37.520 to lead Russell and team-mate Hadjar. His FP2 lap was slower than Leclerc’s, but he did not have the benefit of a soft-tyre qualifying run.
For Red Bull, that leaves plenty of room for optimism heading into Saturday.
Mercedes upgrade attracts attention
Mercedes arrived in Malaysia with a significant upgrade package, but its Friday results were relatively modest.
Russell and Antonelli finished seventh and eighth in FP2, although neither position necessarily represents the team’s true qualifying potential. The conditions and tyre strategies made it difficult to draw firm conclusions from the standings.
Mercedes is also dealing with a particularly important weekend because Sepang is a circuit that places heavy demands on tyres and car balance.
The track has returned to the F1 calendar for the first time since 2017. Its long straights, high-speed corners and demanding surface provide a very different test from several of the circuits visited earlier in the season.
The weather could make things even more complicated.
There was a strong threat of rain before FP2, with Formula 1 reporting a 90% chance of rain during the session. In the end, the rain stayed away, allowing most teams to complete their planned programmes.
However, the possibility of wet weather remains one of the biggest talking points for the rest of the weekend.
Sepang return creates a unique F1 weekend
This is not technically a normal Malaysian Grand Prix.
The race is officially being held as the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with Sepang stepping in after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian events were affected by the situation in the Middle East.
Formula 1 and the FIA confirmed in July that Sepang would host the Bahrain Grand Prix from October 2-4. The agreement allowed the Bahrain race to remain on the 2026 calendar while giving Malaysia the opportunity to host F1 again.
The Sepang International Circuit is 5.543 kilometres long and features a mixture of long straights and challenging corners. The circuit made its F1 debut in 1999 and last hosted a Formula 1 race in 2017.
There is also a distinctly Bahraini flavour to the event. Bahrain-related activities are being held around the circuit, while the podium ceremony is expected to retain Bahraini elements, including the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy and rosewater in place of the traditional champagne.
Grid penalties could change Sunday’s starting order
Friday’s pace is only part of the story because several drivers already have grid penalties hanging over them.
Hadjar is set to take a five-place grid drop after exceeding the permitted allocation of engine components.
Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad is also facing a penalty related to his power-unit allocation.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto faces an especially difficult starting position. He has a five-place penalty carried over from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after being judged responsible for a crash at a restart, and a further 10-place penalty connected to his power-unit allocation.
That could make Saturday’s qualifying result particularly important for several drivers.
A strong qualifying lap will not necessarily translate directly into the same grid position on Sunday because of the penalties.
What to expect on Saturday
The biggest question heading into Saturday is whether Leclerc’s Ferrari can maintain its advantage when every driver puts the soft tyre to work.
Verstappen’s FP1 performance and his decision not to complete a soft-tyre run in FP2 mean Red Bull’s actual qualifying pace remains difficult to judge. Hadjar’s second-place finish, meanwhile, shows that the Red Bull RB22 has genuine speed around Sepang.
McLaren also has reason to be encouraged, with Norris only 0.137 seconds away from Leclerc and Piastri sixth.
Mercedes is another team to watch closely. The new upgrade did not immediately translate into a front-row position on Friday, but the team’s engineers will now have a large amount of data to analyse before qualifying.
The official schedule has final practice at 12:30 local time on Saturday, followed by qualifying at 16:00. The race is scheduled for 15:00 local time on Sunday and will run for 56 laps, or a maximum of two hours.
For now, Ferrari has the headline with Leclerc at the top, but Friday’s sessions have made one thing clear: the competitive picture is far from settled.
With Red Bull showing strong pace, McLaren close behind and Mercedes potentially hiding some performance, qualifying at Sepang could provide a much clearer answer.
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