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Max Verstappen Leads F1 Field as Sepang Returns with Intense Heat
Highlights
- Max Verstappen topped timesheets in Sepang practice session
- Practice featured intense heat with track temperatures above 58°C
- George Russell finished second, three-tenths behind Verstappen
- Isack Hadjar received grid penalty due to engine changes
- Kimi Antonelli holds 66-point championship lead before Bahrain GP
- Sepang returns to F1 after an eight-year absence
Max Verstappen tops FP1 as F1 returns to Sepang, setting 1:37.520 for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, three-tenths clear of George Russell.
The session runs in punishing heat, with air at 33°C and track above 58°C, stressing tyres and cooling. Sepang’s demands, highlighted in the Sepang challenge, require balance and brake management.
Red Bull appears immediately comfortable on long and short runs. Russell’s deficit suggests Mercedes is close on balance but lacks peak grip and traction in the middle sector.
Isack Hadjar is third for Red Bull, nearly eight-tenths off Verstappen. Charles Leclerc leads Ferrari in fourth, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli fifth after a conservative opening programme.
Antonelli holds a 66-point championship lead entering Sepang.
Antonelli’s advantage narrows after Russell’s Baku result. Lewis Hamilton is sixth for Ferrari, chasing gains at a venue where his past record is modest.
Track temperature peaks above 58°C during FP1 at Sepang.
Pierre Gasly takes seventh for Alpine, returning to the scene of his 2017 debut. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad place eighth and ninth for Red Bull, with Nico Hulkenberg tenth.
Post-session, engine changes trigger penalties that will reshape the grid via the F1 Sepang grid fix. Hadjar gets a drop, Lindblad moves to the back. Franco Colapinto serves a sanction.
Hadjar faces a grid drop after engine changes, with Lindblad starting from the back.
Recovery drives depend on tyre life, overtaking, and cooling margins. Sepang’s wide layout encourages passes, but management is delicate in this heat. Verstappen’s Malaysia heat comments underline the challenge.
Red Bull’s baseline pace supports Verstappen’s ambition for sustained dominance, while Mercedes looks competitive on race simulation. Previous Sepang success also strengthens Red Bull’s confidence for this relocated Bahrain weekend.
Verstappen tops FP1 with 1:37.520, three-tenths clear of Russell.
With days before qualifying, teams chase cooling headroom and tyre stability. Power unit allocation limits loom large, so reliability choices today could dictate Sunday track position.
Visual Summary
1
63
3
💢
💢
= Grid Penalty
= Grid Penalty
58°C
Verstappen Untouchable
Sepang Heatwave Practice King 🔥
A scorching 1:37.520 lap gives Max a 0.3s edge on Russell.
Track temp hit 58°C—tyres melting, ambitions rising.
Track temp hit 58°C—tyres melting, ambitions rising.
1
Verstappen
Verstappen
1:37.520
2
Russell
Russell
+0.3s
3
Hadjar
Hadjar
+0.8s
💢
Grid penalties for Hadjar, Lindblad, and Colapinto could shake up the starting grid.
☀️ 33°C air
🔥 58°C track
🔥 58°C track
Sepang is back—Verstappen leads the charge under a relentless Malaysian sun.
The heat is on for every rival. Race day drama awaits.
The heat is on for every rival. Race day drama awaits.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
