Verstappen tops Bahrain GP in Malaysia first practice

Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit, marking F1's return to the track for the first time in nine years. His time was 0.383 seconds quicker than George Russell, who won the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a Mercedes. The second Red Bull, Ishaq Hadjar, finished third fastest, 0.783 seconds behind Verstappen.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, with a gap of 0.783 seconds behind the Red Bull. Alpine's Pierre Gasly was seventh, ahead of the Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who start from the back of the grid due to a grid penalty for excessive engine parts usage. Both Ishaq Hadjar and Liam Lawson face five-place grid penalties for the same reason.

The return of F1 to this prestigious track, renowned as one of the best among the newer circuits, is due to the cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races due to the Middle East war. Bahrain, however, managed to hold their race by negotiating with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to race in Malaysia instead. The event will feature Bahraini-related activities at the track, with the trophy being presented as the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy, and rosewater being sprayed on the podium instead of champagne.

During the first session, drivers commented on the high level of tyre degradation caused by the abrasive surface, with George Russell noting his tyre wear appeared to be an outlier compared to Verstappen's. Mercedes had introduced their first major upgrade since the Canadian Grand Prix, with a new floor and rear bodywork. While McLaren was expected to dominate at this track, the world champions showed a subdued performance in the first practice session, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in 11th and 12th respectively.