Max Verstappen wasted no time in the first free practice session (FP1) for the 2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia. The Red Bull Racing driver set the fastest time of 1m37.520s, beating George Russell of Mercedes by 0.383s, with Verstappen's teammate Isack Hadjar completing the top three on a 1m38.303s.
This marks F1's return to Sepang after a nine-year absence. The circuit last hosted a race in 2017, won by Verstappen. Now, Sepang has been chosen as the temporary host for the Bahrain GP due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. With little recent data on the Malaysian track, it was no surprise that teams hit the ground running, with the medium tyre being the preferred choice early on.
In the first 30 minutes, Russell led the medium-tyre runners with a 1m38.932s, 0.522s quicker than his teammate Kimi Antonelli. However, both Red Bull cars opted for the soft tyre from the start, allowing Verstappen to take the top spot with a 1m38.883s, just 0.049s ahead of Russell. Hadjar, meanwhile, was seven tenths off Verstappen, struggling with understeer at the final hairpin due to the low-grip nature of the track.
The hot and humid conditions posed an additional challenge, with temperatures hitting 32°C. Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto remarked, "This is the craziest I've ever been in my life with temperatures. Even more than Bahrain in FP1." Nevertheless, drivers adapted and pushed on.
In the final 30 minutes, Hadjar briefly lowered his teammate's benchmark to a 1m38.303s, just as more teams switched to the soft compound. Lap times continued to tumble: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton went 0.064s and 0.287s off Hadjar respectively, before Russell reclaimed the top spot with a 1m37.903s. The upgraded W17 looked fast, but the RB22 was equally impressive. Verstappen then set a 1m37.520s, 0.383s clear, which stood until the end.
In the closing moments, drivers reverted to harder compounds for testing programmes. The top three of Verstappen, Russell, and Hadjar remained unchanged, with Leclerc fourth (+0.847s) and championship leader Antonelli fifth on a 1m38.580s. Antonelli seemed to struggle for pace, ending up significantly behind his teammate.
With this result, Verstappen sent a strong signal that Red Bull is ready to fight for the Bahrain GP, despite Mercedes bringing numerous upgrades. The competition at Sepang will only intensify given the challenging track and extreme weather. Qualifying and the race promise a fierce battle between the top two teams.
Baca Juga
Max Verstappen memimpin FP1 Bahrain GP di Sepang setelah F1 kembali ke Malaysia, unggul atas George Russell dalam kondisi trek mencapai 58°C.
Mercedes bawa paket upgrade besar untuk W17 di GP Bahrain Sepang. Tujuh komponen baru, dari lantai hingga suspensi, siap dominasi F1. Akankah jadi game over?
Max Verstappen tercepat di FP2 GP Malaysia 2026, simulasi race pace dimulai. Mercedes dan Ferrari bersaing ketat jelang kualifikasi.
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