Red Bull Emerge as Team to Beat After Friday Practice at Sepang

Posted : 02 October 2026

Red Bull were identified by George Russell and Charles Leclerc as the team showing the strongest underlying pace after Friday practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Although Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the second session, Red Bull appeared to have more speed than their headline positions suggested. Isack Hadjar finished second, just 0.099 seconds behind Leclerc, while Max Verstappen was fourth at 0.257 seconds off the Ferrari.

Verstappen had already set the pace in the opening practice session, beating Russell by 0.383 seconds. The Dutchman then opted against a qualifying simulation on soft tyres in FP2, choosing instead to concentrate on longer runs and race preparation.

Leclerc said Red Bull looked particularly strong despite Hadjar not completing a fully optimised lap. He also noted that Verstappen's decision not to use soft tyres made it difficult to judge the true competitive order.

"Everybody is very close," Leclerc said, while pointing to the challenging track conditions and high tyre degradation at Sepang. The Ferrari driver added that he expected Mercedes to become more competitive once they extracted the full potential of their upgraded car.

Verstappen described his opening day as a positive start but highlighted the demanding conditions, with high temperatures and significant tyre wear. Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache also said the team's updated package appeared to be performing better than its previous configuration.

Mercedes had to settle for seventh and eighth in FP2, with Russell ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The team introduced a substantial upgrade package at Sepang, including changes to the sidepods, floor, diffuser and rear suspension.

Russell said the new car was generating downforce but that tyre overheating and degradation remained major concerns. Despite finishing seventh in the second session, he maintained that Verstappen looked particularly quick over one lap and suggested McLaren had strong long-run performance.

The leading teams remain closely matched after the first day, with differing tyre strategies making the order difficult to interpret. Leclerc led Hadjar, Norris and Verstappen in FP2, while Lewis Hamilton was fifth and Oscar Piastri sixth.

The weekend also includes several grid penalties. Hadjar will receive a five-place drop after exceeding his permitted engine allocation, while Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto are also set for penalties. Colapinto carries an additional five-place sanction from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Formula 1 is back at Sepang for the first time since 2017, when Verstappen won the last Malaysian Grand Prix. The Bahrain race is being held in Malaysia this year after the original event was relocated because of the wider regional situation.

Red Bull Emerge as Team to Beat After Friday Practice at Sepang

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