Max Verstappen wasted little time getting comfortable at Sepang, topping the opening practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with a 1:37.520.
George Russell was second, just 0.383s behind, while Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar completed the top three. Charles Leclerc and championship leader Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top five.
The session marked F1’s return to Sepang for the first time since 2017, with many drivers experiencing the circuit for the first time. Hot and humid conditions also made tyre management and grip a major focus, while Mercedes introduced a substantial upgrade package for the weekend.
McLaren had a quieter start, with Oscar Piastri 11th and Lando Norris 12th. But with FP1 mainly about learning the resurfaced challenge of Sepang and gathering data, the real picture is still to come.
