The second free practice session highlights Ferrari’s competitiveness on both flying laps and race pace in Malaysia
At the Malaysian GP, Ferrari shows strong performance: Charles Leclerc tops Free Practice 2 at Sepang. The SF-26 dominates in both qualifying trim and race pace, though rivals remain close. The Kuala Lumpur track conditions complicate weekend preparations. The circuit is slippery, grip levels are low, and tire degradation will be crucial during the race.
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The second practice session began under a high risk of rain. Team radio communications indicated heavy rain was expected within ten to fifteen minutes after the start. Despite dark clouds covering the track early on, no water appeared. This feature gave teams ample time to continue adapting setups for the Kuala Lumpur circuit.
Max Verstappen was the first to set a benchmark, confirming his strong affinity with Sepang. The Red Bull, despite challenges with the track’s bumps, showed immediate pace on medium tires. The four-time world champion concentrated his run on this compound, finishing fourth by session end.
Ferrari regains confidence in Malaysia
However, Ferrari’s performance offers greater hope. Leading the pack, at the session’s close, Charles Leclerc posted a best lap of 1:37.528 on soft tires. His race pace proved impressive, maintaining consistent laps around 1:44. There’s still uncertainty though, as Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull recorded similar times. It suggests setup optimization remains a work in progress.
The session’s final moments offered limited conclusions. The track’s low and inconsistent grip complicated engineers’ efforts to find optimal balance. Significant changes might come tomorrow during Free Practice 3 and qualifying. Notably, there was an impeding incident where Lewis Hamilton hindered Gabriel Bortoleto. This will likely result in a reprimand for the Mercedes driver.
FP2: complete session results
| POS | DRIVER | BEST LAP | GAP | INTERVAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | 1:37.528 | — | — |
| 2 | Isack Hadjar | 1:37.627 | +0.099 | +0.099 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | 1:37.665 | +0.137 | +0.038 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | 1:37.785 | +0.257 | +0.120 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:37.833 | +0.305 | +0.048 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | 1:37.899 | +0.371 | +0.066 |
| 7 | George Russell | 1:38.020 | +0.492 | +0.121 |
| 8 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 1:38.060 | +0.532 | +0.040 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | 1:38.496 | +0.968 | +0.436 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | 1:38.588 | +1.060 | +0.092 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | 1:38.880 | +1.352 | +0.292 |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 1:39.051 | DNF | — |
| 13 | Nico Hülkenberg | 1:39.109 | +1.581 | +0.058 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | 1:39.361 | +1.833 | +0.252 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | 1:39.478 | +1.950 | +0.117 |
| 16 | Oliver Bearman | 1:39.706 | +2.178 | +0.228 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | 1:39.930 | +2.402 | +0.224 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | 1:40.150 | +2.622 | +0.220 |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | 1:40.186 | +2.658 | +0.036 |
| 20 | Alexander Albon | 1:40.221 | +2.693 | +0.035 |
| 21 | Sergio Pérez | 1:40.938 | +3.410 | +0.717 |
| 22 | Franco Colapinto | 1:43.391 | +5.863 | +2.453 |
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Cover Photo: Marco Talluto for F1inGenerale.com