Charles Leclerc set the pace in the second practice session (FP2) for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is taking place at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. His fastest lap of 1m37.528s put him just ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar and McLaren’s Lando Norris, marking a strong showing for Ferrari in this session.
Leclerc’s time was 0.099 seconds quicker than Hadjar, who had finished third in the first practice session, while Norris was a further 0.137 seconds behind. Meanwhile, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli faced challenges, finishing seventh and eighth respectively after struggling with their soft tyre performance, particularly in the final sector of the lap.
The session was held under the looming threat of rain, with the forecast initially indicating a 70% chance that later increased to 90%. This influenced teams to focus on early runs with soft tyres before shifting to race simulations and running on older tyres in the latter part of FP2, which led to relatively stable lap times. Max Verstappen, who topped FP1, was only fourth fastest in FP2 while running on medium tyres. Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, was fifth fastest with a lap time of 1m37.833s, and Oscar Piastri showed notable improvement by moving from 12th in FP1 to sixth in FP2.
The return of the Sepang circuit to the Formula 1® calendar for the first time since 2017, replacing Bahrain for this event, added an extra layer of interest to the weekend. The track’s characteristics and the weather conditions have presented teams with fresh challenges, particularly in tyre management and setup balance.
On-track action included a close battle between Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls and Gabriel Bortoleto from Audi. Bortoleto’s car eventually stopped on track, triggering a virtual safety car period during the session. This incident briefly interrupted running but did not significantly affect the overall pace shown by the front runners.
Mercedes’ difficulty with soft tyre performance in the final sector suggests that the team may need to adjust their approach to tyre usage as the weekend progresses. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s strong showing, led by Leclerc and supported by Hamilton’s consistent pace, indicates a positive start for the Scuderia at this event.
Overall, the FP2 session at Sepang has provided valuable data for teams as they prepare for qualifying and the race. The weather remains a factor to monitor, but the session’s results highlight the current competitive order and tyre-related challenges among the leading teams.