The first practice session of the Bahrain GP at Sepang Circuit in Malaysia concludes: here’s how Ferrari performed, with a recap and full results from FP1
The checkered flag waved to close the opening practice session. On the return to Sepang, Red Bull immediately impressed with Max Verstappen topping the timesheets. Mercedes struggled badly in their race simulation, suffering significant tyre degradation, while Ferrari appears competitive so far. Here are the full results and a summary of the FP1 in Malaysia.
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First 30 minutes: very slippery track
The Sepang track, which hasn’t hosted Formula 1 since 2017, was in very poor condition. Besides extreme temperatures and humidity comparable to Singapore, the surface offered very little grip. Many drivers made mistakes, especially in the final corner. Additionally, Leclerc highlighted the high tyre degradation as a key challenge.
The drivers started cautiously, mostly using medium tyres to get accustomed. Early interesting lap times came from the two Red Bulls, with Hadjar ahead of Verstappen, posting high 1:37s. Mercedes launched strongly with their new upgrades. Ferrari was ahead of McLaren at this stage.
Second 30 minutes: qualifying runs and race simulations
The second half featured the first qualifying simulations. On soft tyres, Max Verstappen set the fastest time at 1:37.520, almost four tenths clear of George Russell and teammate Isack Hadjar. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari ranked fourth, followed by Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton. McLaren struggled, with Norris and Piastri posting 11th and 12th fastest times.
During a brief race pace simulation, Verstappen looked strongest, maintaining a consistent pace despite heavy tyre wear. Ferrari seemed close, running similar times. Mercedes surprised negatively, facing several technical and tyre management problems. Antonelli reported battery issues, while Russell’s pace dropped sharply after a few laps.
We expect a clearer picture after FP2, where more extensive race simulations will take place.
FP1 results in Malaysia</caption]
*Cover photo: Marco Talluto, F1inGenerale
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