Verstappen fastest in FP1 at Sepang; Leclerc tops FP2 of Bahrain GP weekend

CentreRed Bull's Max Verstappen topped Friday's opening practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, lapping in 1 minute 37.520 seconds. 1 CentreMercedes' George Russell was 0.383 seconds behind, Red Bull's Isack Hadjar was third, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was the only other driver within a second of Verstappen's time. 1 CentreChampionship leader Kimi Antonelli was fifth in that session, more than a second off the pace, and Lewis Hamilton was sixth; both Mercedes drivers went wide at turn four while struggling with tyre wear. 1

CentreRed Bull team principal Laurent Mekies told Sky Sports F1 it was early to get excited, and that everyone was fighting their cars in extreme heat; Leclerc said "The tyre degradation is insane." 1 CentreIn second practice, Leclerc went fastest, 0.099 seconds ahead of Hadjar; Lando Norris of McLaren was third, Verstappen fourth, 0.257 seconds off Leclerc, and Hamilton fifth. 2 CentreGulf News reported that rivals regarded Red Bull as setting the pace beneath the timing sheets: Verstappen did not do a soft-tyre qualifying-style lap, instead focusing on race preparation with rain forecast, and Leclerc believed Hadjar had left time on the table. 2

CentreLeclerc said "the Red Bull is standing out this weekend so far" and that Ferrari was not the most competitive; Russell said Verstappen "looks very fast" and McLaren's race pace looked very quick. 2 CentreRed Bull technical director Pierre Wache said the team was not optimistic starting the weekend but that the package introduced in Baku looked better than the previous one. 2 CentreMercedes tested a major upgrade, its first significant development since the Canadian Grand Prix in June; Russell and Antonelli finished second practice seventh and eighth, and Russell said tyre overheating and degradation were the main concern. 2

CentreSepang is hosting the Bahrain race because of the conflict in the Middle East; Gulf News said Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa agreed the arrangement after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled earlier in the year. 1 2 CentreVerstappen, a four-time world champion, is seeking his first win of the season, and won the last Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017. 1 CentreThe FIA said Hadjar, Lindblad and Franco Colapinto exceeded their seasonal engine allowances and received grid penalties; Colapinto's was 10 places, on top of an earlier five-place penalty for the Baku turn-one crash. 1