Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in FP2 for the Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang, Malaysia. The Ferrari driver edged Red Bull's Isack Hadjar by just 0.099 seconds in a tightly contested session, marking F1's return to Sepang after nine years.
A Tight Battle at the Top
Hadjar, who was third fastest in FP1, is set to take a five-place grid penalty for exceeding engine component limits. He is one of three drivers facing grid drops this weekend. Reigning world champion Lando Norris of McLaren was third, just 0.137s adrift of Leclerc. Max Verstappen ended up fourth, 0.257s off the pace, but did not run the soft tyre during his qualifying simulation. Verstappen had set the pace in FP1.
Lewis Hamilton, who also faces a stewards' investigation for allegedly impeding Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, was over three tenths slower than his Ferrari team-mate. Oscar Piastri completed the top six for McLaren, ahead of George Russell and championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Both were half a second off the pace despite running Mercedes' heavily upgraded W17.
Liam Lawson was ninth for Racing Bulls, with Pierre Gasly completing the top 10 for Alpine. Bortoleto stopped late in FP2 with a suspected gearbox issue, while the forecast rain failed to hit the circuit.
The race is being held in Malaysia on behalf of Bahrain due to the war in the Middle East, which forced the cancellation of both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix earlier this year. Following an agreement between F1, the FIA, and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain, a solution was found for the Bahrain Grand Prix to be staged at Sepang. Bahrain has helped fund the event, with the country's national airline Gulf Air as the official sponsor. The Bahrain Grand Prix trophy will be presented and rosewater will be sprayed on the podium instead of champagne.
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