Verstappen leads first practice for Bahrain GP at Sepang

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in first practice for the rearranged Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit on Friday, leading George Russell by 0.383 seconds. The Red Bull driver clocked 1 minute, 37.520 seconds as Formula One returned to the Malaysian track for the first time since 2017. Isack Hadjar was third, 0.783 seconds behind Verstappen, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth and championship leader Kimi Antonelli fifth. Lewis Hamilton placed sixth, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished 11th and 12th. The practice order offers an early snapshot rather than a clear measure of race form. Teams were using the session to assess the circuit and their cars, and the drivers’ times could change as they gather more data. McLaren ran different rear wings on Piastri’s and Norris’s cars, with the team appearing to use the session for race preparation, according to reports from the track. Sepang’s return to the calendar followed the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races earlier this year amid the war in the Middle East.