Summary

Max Verstappen said Red Bull followed a different programme in Friday’s second Formula 1 practice session at Sepang, where he finished fourth without using the soft tyre. The Dutchman retained the fastest lap of the day despite sitting behind Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris in the afternoon classification.

Verstappen’s FP2 best of 1:37.785 came on medium tyres, leaving him 0.257s behind Leclerc. His morning lap of 1:37.520 nevertheless remained unbeaten across the two sessions, with the Ferrari driver finishing just eight thousandths slower.

Verstappen cautions against comparing the sessions

Speaking after Friday’s running at Sepang, Verstappen described a reasonable opening day but highlighted the work still required to understand the car in demanding conditions.

“It was warmer in FP2 than in FP1, and we were on a different program,” Verstappen said.

The different programme makes his fourth place an incomplete measure of Red Bull’s qualifying potential. It also means the morning and afternoon positions cannot establish, on their own, whether the team improved between sessions.

Verstappen highlighted the hot track and substantial tyre degradation as challenges. His assessment remained cautious, with further analysis and experimentation required before the rest of the weekend.

F1 2026, BAHREIN, MALÁSIA, TREINOS LIVRES, RED BULL RACING, MAX VERSTAPPEN
Max Verstappen (Photo: F1)

Medium-tyre running instead of a soft-tyre benchmark

While several rivals completed their faster laps on soft tyres, Verstappen returned to the track on the mediums he had already used. His subsequent running focused on a longer sequence of laps rather than producing another qualifying benchmark.

Teammate Hadjar followed a different approach, recording a 1:37.627 to finish second in FP2. That left Red Bull with a front-running soft-tyre result from one car and medium-tyre running from the other.

Leclerc ultimately led the session ahead of Hadjar and Norris, with Verstappen fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth.

What does that mean for qualifying?

Verstappen’s Friday results do not establish how much faster he could have gone on soft tyres. The difference between compounds varies with conditions, preparation and the car, while fuel loads further complicate comparisons.

His FP1 performance ahead of George Russell and Hadjar’s afternoon position offer encouraging signs for Red Bull. A representative qualifying attempt is still needed to establish where Verstappen stands against Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes over one lap.

Saturday’s FP3 begins at 12:30 local time, followed by qualifying at 16:00. The team will have another practice session to refine its preparation before the grid-setting action.

Formula 1 continues this weekend, from 2–4 October, in Malaysia, which hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Sepang.

F1 today: FAQ

Who was fastest in Bahrain GP practice at Sepang?

Max Verstappen topped FP1 with a 1:37.520, beating George Russell by 0.383 seconds. Isack Hadjar finished third, ahead of Charles Leclerc and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

What time does F1 FP2 start in Malaysia?

FP2 starts on Friday, 2 October, at 16:00 in Malaysia. That is 09:00 BST in the UK, 04:00 EDT in New York and Toronto, 01:00 PDT in Los Angeles and Vancouver, 13:30 IST in India and 18:00 AEST in Sydney and Melbourne.

Why is the Bahrain Grand Prix being held in Malaysia?

The original race at Sakhir was cancelled because of the conflict in the Middle East. Sepang is hosting the replacement event while retaining the Bahrain Grand Prix name, bringing Formula 1 back to the Malaysian circuit for the first time since 2017.

Why did Verstappen not use soft tyres in Sepang FP2?

Verstappen said Red Bull followed a different programme in the afternoon. His running included a longer stint on used medium tyres rather than a soft-tyre qualifying benchmark.