Leclerc leads Hadjar in FP2 at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Second practice at the Sepang International Circuit saw an unconventional order of proceedings, in what is an unconventional weekend for Formula One. As often is the case in Malaysia, the threat of rain and major tyre degradation were the key talking points.
Black skies covered the circuit for the session’s start, with teams expecting a downpour at any moment. The rain would never actually arrive, but by the 15 minute mark, the pit lane was busy with drivers changing to the soft tyres in order to secure a qualifying run in fear of missing out on valuable data.
It was Charles Leclerc who set the early pace, and the Monegasque stayed in first place until the session ended with a lap time of 1:37.528. Isack Hadjar was second, behind by just 0.099 seconds, and Lando Norris was third for McLaren.
Max Verstappen was fourth, but did not complete a soft tyre run. Himself and Franco Colapinto were the only drivers not to do so. Both Red Bull drivers were complaining about driveability and the rear of the car bouncing, but the time sheets show clear pace.
Lewis Hamilton finished the session fifth; the seven-time champion is the most successful driver at Sepang, but is under investigation after impeding Gabriel Bortoleto on the entrance to Turn 9.
Oscar Piastri was sixth, ahead of the two Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli respectively. The Mercedes pair struggled to get their soft tyres in the right window and will be something to monitor throughout the weekend. Liam Lawson was ninth for the Racing Bulls and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.
Completely contrary to the last race in Baku, tyre degradation is extreme at Sepang, largely due to high temperatures and a rough track surface. This was clear to see on track - the cars were crawling around with the drivers visibly managing temperatures throughout.
The closing stages would see the only stoppage of the session. Gabriel Bortoleto came to a stop on the exit of Turn 8 with a suspected gearbox problem. The Brazilian had an eventful session being impeded by Hamilton, the stoppage and having a battle with Liam Lawson for position around the course of a lap.
Looking ahead
With Friday’s running concluded, we look ahead to FP3 and qualifying. The true colours of Mercedes’ upgrades are likely to show tomorrow, but it’s visible that the championship leaders are struggling with their tyres. Red Bull are looking competitive and Charles Leclerc has just shown that Ferrari are right in the mix too.
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia is set to be a fascinating race. An unpredictable order come qualifying, the possibility of extreme weather changes and a huge amount tyre degradation bode well for an exciting race. Formula One is well and truly back in Sepang.
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