F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Max Verstappen leads FP1

With minimal recent data on the Malaysian track, it was no surprise that teams hurried onto the circuit in the early stages of FP1, predominantly opting for the medium tyre. 

In the initial 30 minutes, Russell emerged as the fastest of the medium tyre runners, setting a time of 1m38.932s, which was 0.522s faster than his teammate Kimi Antonelli – although there were exceptions.

Both Red Bull drivers opted for the soft tyre from the outset, enabling Verstappen to set the early pace with a time of 1m38.883s, 0.049s ahead of Russell in second. 

Hadjar faced more challenges, trailing seven tenths behind Verstappen and occasionally struggling with the low-grip conditions at Sepang, including an understeering incident at the final hairpin. 

However, grip wasn't the sole concern, as drivers also had to cope with the hot and humid climate of Southeast Asia, where temperatures soared to 32C.

“This is the hottest I’ve ever experienced in my life,” remarked Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto, who was 2.631s off the pace during the first half of the hour-long session.

“Even more than Bahrain in FP1.”

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Drivers, however, managed to adapt, and the final 30 minutes commenced with Hadjar improving his teammate’s benchmark to a 1m38.303s, just as more teams began to switch to the soft compound.

Lap times continued to drop: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton trailed Hadjar by 0.064s and 0.287s respectively, before Russell seized the lead with a time of 1m37.903s. 

The upgraded W17 appeared to be showing speed, but so did the RB22 – which secured its first double podium of 2026 last weekend – as Verstappen quickly clocked in at 0.383s faster with a time of 1m37.520s.

This lap was achieved with 25 minutes remaining, although the closing stages saw drivers revert to the harder compounds, going through various testing programs in preparation for the race weekend.

As a result, the top three of Verstappen, Russell and Hadjar remained unchanged, with Leclerc taking fourth (+0.847s) and championship leader Antonelli finishing fifth with a time of 1m38.580s.

Antonelli appeared to struggle more than usual, unable to find the pace that had allowed him to dominate the 2026 season, and he ended up splitting the Ferrari duo in FP1.

Hamilton secured sixth place with a time of 1m38.590s, 1.070s behind Verstappen, while Pierre Gasly’s time of 1m38.715s put him seventh for Alpine after he recorded the fastest first sector.

Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, along with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, completed the top 10, marking a disappointing session for McLaren, who finished in 11th and 12th positions.

Oscar Piastri was 1.756s off the pace, managing to be just 0.017s faster than reigning world champion Lando Norris.