Max Verstappen topped FP1 at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang with a 1:37.520, as Formula 1 returned to Malaysia for the first time in eight years. The Red Bull driver finished 0.383 seconds clear of Mercedes' George Russell.
Russell was Verstappen's closest challenger with a 1:37.903, while Verstappen's team-mate Isack Hadjar finished third, 0.783 seconds off the leading time. Charles Leclerc was the fastest Ferrari driver in fourth, ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Extreme heat was one of the defining factors of the opening session. Air temperature reached 33°C, while the track temperature climbed above 58°C. Those conditions placed additional demands on the tyres and provided important context for the early performance picture.
Antonelli entered the weekend holding a 66-point championship lead after losing ground to Russell at the previous round in Baku. Lewis Hamilton was sixth in the second Ferrari, while Pierre Gasly placed seventh for Alpine.
The Racing Bulls pairing of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad followed in eighth and ninth respectively, with Nico Hulkenberg completing the top 10. Gasly's FP1 run came at the circuit where he made his Formula 1 debut during F1's previous visit to Sepang.
The session also saw several engine-related grid penalties confirmed. Hadjar and Lindblad will receive grid drops, while Franco Colapinto has taken a new engine and will serve an additional grid penalty alongside the punishment carried over from Baku.
With Verstappen leading the opening session and extreme track temperatures adding another variable to the weekend, attention now turns to FP2 and whether the early competitive order remains intact at Sepang.
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