Formula 1 returned to the Sepang International Circuit on Friday for an unusual edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time in the second practice session.
Leclerc completed the 5.543-kilometre circuit in 1:37.528, narrowly finishing ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and McLaren's Lando Norris. Max Verstappen, who dominated the opening practice session, finished fourth in FP2 but retained the fastest overall time of the day with his 1:37.520 lap from FP1.
The race is being held at Sepang instead of Bahrain because of the wider security situation in the Middle East. The unusual change has brought Formula 1 back to Malaysia, a circuit that last hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017.
Friday's sessions took place under dry and sunny conditions. Teams had expected the possibility of rain because Sepang is traditionally known for unpredictable tropical weather, but the track remained dry throughout both sessions.
Leclerc's performance provided Ferrari with an encouraging start to the weekend. The Monegasque driver was able to extract strong performance from the Ferrari during the second session, while teammate Lewis Hamilton finished fifth.
Hamilton, however, was called before the stewards after being investigated for allegedly impeding Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto at Turn Nine. The Ferrari driver explained over team radio that he had difficulty seeing through his right-hand mirror.
McLaren also showed strong pace after a difficult first session. Norris improved substantially to finish third in FP2, while Oscar Piastri moved into sixth.
Mercedes brought a significant upgrade package to the race weekend and introduced a special teal-green livery connected with its title sponsor Petronas. George Russell finished seventh and championship leader Kimi Antonelli was eighth.
Antonelli experienced a difficult first practice session but improved later in the day. His position will attract attention because he currently leads the championship and is attempting to maintain his advantage over the more experienced drivers.
Verstappen, meanwhile, is searching for his first victory of the season. The four-time world champion showed immediately that Red Bull has competitive pace by topping FP1.
The weekend also produced several penalties. Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto received grid penalties after exceeding their seasonal engine allocations, while Colapinto was also penalized for an earlier incident.
With qualifying still to come, Friday's sessions have produced a closely packed field. Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren all demonstrated strong pace, while Mercedes appears to have improved its car with the latest package.
The unusual Sepang setting could also make strategy particularly important. Temperatures, tyre degradation and the possibility of changing weather may influence the race.
For now, Leclerc has the headline time from FP2, but Verstappen remains the fastest driver overall on Friday. The battle will continue when the teams return to the circuit for qualifying and the race.
