Verstappen tops Bahrain GP in Malaysia first practice

Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, set the fastest time in the first practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang track in Malaysia, which hosted the Formula 1 return after a nine-year absence. Verstappen was 0.383 seconds ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell, who won the previous race in Azerbaijan. The second Red Bull, Isaac Hadjar, finished third fastest, 0.783 seconds behind Verstappen, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc trailed by 0.783 seconds, separated from his teammate Lewis Hamilton by a margin of championship leader Kimi Antolinis Mercedes.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly rounded out the top seven, finishing ahead of the Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who will start from the back of the grid due to a grid penalty for exceeding the engine part limit. Both Hadjar and the Racing Bulls have received grid penalties for the same reason. The return of F1 to this track, known for being one of the best layouts among the newer circuits established in the late 20th century, comes as a result of the cancelled Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Bahrain, however, was keen to hold their race and reached out to Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who negotiated to move the race to Malaysia. A series of Bahrain-related events are taking place at the track, and the trophy will be the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy with rosewater being used instead of champagne on the podium.

During the first session, drivers commented on the high tyre degradation caused by the abrasive surface, with George Russell noting his wear appeared to be an outlier compared to Verstappen's during a race-simulation run. Mercedes had introduced their first major upgrade since the Canadian Grand Prix, featuring a new floor and rear bodywork, but Mercedes appeared to be holding their own against the McLaren, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in 11th and 12th places.