F1 Full Results | Verstappen tops Russell in Sepang return

Max Verstappen was the fastest driver in the first practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. His time was 1:37.520. According to Yahoo Sports, the track was challenging, with tyre degradation being a concern, and drivers struggled with dust and dirt on the track initially.

Verstappen was 0.383 seconds quicker than George Russell, who drives for Mercedes. The second Red Bull, driven by Isack Hadjar, was third fastest, 0.783 seconds off the pace, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, as reported by BBC Sport. Several drivers, including Hadjar and Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, are set to face grid penalties.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is being held in Malaysia due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races earlier in the year, caused by the war in the Middle East. The event still features Bahraini-related activities, and the trophy presented will be the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy, according to BBC Sport.

Brief written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports, BBC Sport, Motorsport.com — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.