Charles Leclerc stole the show in the second practice session (FP2) for the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang Circuit, Malaysia. The Ferrari driver set the fastest time of 1m37.528s, beating Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris. The session, which had a 90% threat of rain, ultimately stayed dry, forcing teams and drivers to quickly adapt to unfamiliar track conditions.
From the start, all drivers were eager to get going. All 22 drivers headed out early due to the rain threat. Medium tyres were the preferred choice, and Max Verstappen, who was fastest in FP1, initially led with a 1m37.785s. However, Leclerc, who was third early on, began to show his pace after his team decided to switch to soft tyres earlier than usual.
That decision paid off. Leclerc surged to the top with a 1m37.528s, 0.137s ahead of Lando Norris. Meanwhile, both Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, failed to maximise their soft tyre runs after making mistakes in the final sector. This left Mercedes outside the top five, a significant blow given their usual status as front-runners.
Isack Hadjar, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, impressed by slotting into second place. The young driver set a 1m37.627s, just 0.099s slower than Leclerc. Hadjar's performance signals that he is increasingly comfortable with the RB22 and ready to challenge his more experienced rivals.
Behind the top three, competition was fierce. Pierre Gasly, who used soft tyres early, was briefly sixth, while Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fifth, 0.5s off Verstappen. Unfortunately, after the midpoint, many drivers switched to race simulations on used tyres, so lap times stopped improving. A highlight was the intense duel between Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto across all sectors, which ended with a minor incident when Bortoleto overtook Lawson into Turn 1.
Bortoleto also caused a virtual safety car in the closing minutes after his car stopped on track. This incident served as a reminder of the risks that always lurk at Sepang. Nevertheless, this FP2 session suggests that the battle at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia will be incredibly tight, especially between Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren. Mercedes clearly has work to do to return to winning ways.
With this result, Leclerc and Ferrari have shown they are a force to be reckoned with. However, Verstappen and Red Bull have yet to show their best. Meanwhile, McLaren, usually strong in race simulations, had to settle for third with Norris. We await qualifying to see who is truly ready to claim pole position.
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Charles Leclerc tercepat di FP2 Bahrain, unggul tipis atas Isack Hadjar. Simak hasil lengkap dan analisis persaingan ketat jelang kualifikasi.
Charles Leclerc tercepat di FP2 F1 Bahrain GP Malaysia dengan waktu 1m37.528s, ungguli Isack Hadjar dan Lando Norris. Mercedes gagal di ban soft.
Charles Leclerc tercepat di FP2 Bahrain dengan waktu 1:37,528. Mercedes pilih sembunyi kekuatan, sementara insiden Hadjar dan Bortoleto mewarnai sesi.
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