Max Verstappen wasted no time making his mark as Formula 1 returned to Sepang for the first time since 2017. The Red Bull driver, who won the last F1 race at this circuit, set a blistering 1m37.520s to top the opening practice session for the 2026 Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing 0.383s ahead of George Russell.
Isack Hadjar made it two Red Bulls in the top three, while Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli completed the top five. Leclerc was the last driver within a second of Verstappen's benchmark. Lewis Hamilton, a former winner here, had to settle for sixth, over a second adrift. Pierre Gasly impressed with seventh for Alpine, followed by the Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris down in 11th and 12th.
The session began under typically hot Malaysian skies, with almost the entire field heading out immediately except for Russell. Teams were eager to gather data on the dusty Sepang surface, and medium tyres were the popular choice early on, though Verstappen, Hadjar, Lindblad, and Franco Colapinto opted for softs. Antonelli briefly set the first meaningful benchmark with a 1m40.137s, but Verstappen quickly responded and improved to a 1m38.883s.
Grip was at a premium, and Hadjar ran wide at the final corner as the dusty track caught out several drivers. Russell, who started on mediums, emerged as Verstappen's closest challenger, closing to within 0.049s despite running the harder compound. Lindblad also showed encouraging pace for Racing Bulls, moving into third on softs.
As the session reached its halfway point, attention turned to qualifying simulations. Russell was the first to make a major jump with a 1m37.903s, before Hadjar moved within four tenths. Verstappen then unleashed the decisive lap, a 1m37.520s that put him 0.383s clear. Ferrari followed, with Leclerc and Hamilton slotting into fourth and sixth, while Antonelli split them in fifth. McLaren took a different approach, evaluating rear-wing configurations rather than chasing outright pace. Piastri and Norris were separated by just 0.017s but sat outside the top 10 before late improvements from Gasly and Hulkenberg.
Fernando Alonso ended up 14th behind Gabriel Bortoleto, with Esteban Ocon and others still searching for rhythm. With this performance, Verstappen sent a clear warning that Red Bull means business in Malaysia, but the battle behind him remains wide open.
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