Leclerc Leads Ferrari 1-2 Pace in Bahrain GP's Unusual Malaysia Debut
Charles Leclerc set the pace for Ferrari in Friday practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, held at Malaysia's Sepang circuit, finishing 0.099 seconds clear of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, with McLaren's Lando Norris third, 0.137 seconds off the pace.
Reading true competitive order proved tricky due to varying tyre strategies across teams, with an even split between soft and medium compounds on race simulation runs. Max Verstappen, fourth overall, looked potentially the fastest through much of practice before single-lap pace emerged in the second session.
Mercedes' George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, despite a major car upgrade, were only seventh and eighth. Three drivers face grid penalties: Hadjar drops five places for engine part violations, while Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto start from the back over engine penalties, with Colapinto also carrying a crash penalty from Azerbaijan.
The race relocated to Sepang after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia's races were cancelled due to Middle East conflict, with Bahraini traditions, including rosewater podium celebrations, preserved at the Malaysian venue.
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