Relocation from the Persian Gulf

Formula 1 returned to the Sepang International Circuit on Friday for the first time since 2017, staging the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The relocation follows the cancellation of the original races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia earlier in the year after military strikes between the United States, Israel, and Iran in late February expanded across the region, bringing missile and drone attacks to the Gulf states in April. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa negotiated an agreement to lease Sepang, with Bahrain covering the tens of millions of dollars required to host the event 6,000 kilometres away from the Gulf. Sepang previously hosted 19 consecutive editions of the Malaysian Grand Prix between 1999 and 2017 before leaving the calendar due to rising hosting fees. To maintain the identity of the Bahrain event, organisers flew in track marshals from the Gulf, deployed Bahraini officials in traditional dress, arranged for the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy presentation, and substituted rosewater for podium champagne.

Verstappen leads difficult opening session

Max Verstappen set the fastest time of 1:37.520 in the opening 60-minute practice session in his Red Bull. The Dutch driver, who won the final Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017, finished 0.383 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. The lap times remained well above previous track benchmarks, with Verstappen sitting more than seven seconds slower than the 1:30.076 pole position recorded by Lewis Hamilton in 2017. Drivers encountered an abrasive and dirty track surface that offered minimal initial grip, causing severe tyre degradation across race simulations. Twelve of the 22 drivers on the grid had never previously driven a Formula 1 car at Sepang. Teams prioritised data collection over outright single-lap pace, particularly because local weather forecasts anticipate heavy rain over Kuala Lumpur for the remainder of the race weekend.

Upgrades and technical performance

Mercedes arrived at Sepang with its first update package since the Canadian Grand Prix, incorporating a redesigned floor and modified rear bodywork on its W17 chassis. Russell, who entered the weekend after a victory in Azerbaijan, reported heavy tyre degradation during long runs, which his engineers described as an outlier relative to Verstappen. Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli placed fifth in the second Mercedes, one second behind Verstappen. Between the two Mercedes cars, Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar recorded the third-fastest time, 0.783 seconds behind his teammate, while Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc took fourth position.

Grid penalties and midfield order

Lewis Hamilton finished sixth in the second Ferrari, followed by Alpine driver Pierre Gasly in seventh. Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad completed the session in eighth and ninth positions. Both Lindblad and Hadjar face grid penalties for exceeding allocated engine components, with Lindblad scheduled to start from the back of the grid and Hadjar facing an expected five-place drop. McLaren endured a quiet session relative to expectations, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris placing 11th and 12th respectively. The event is scheduled as part of a back-to-back sequence, positioned between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and next week's race in Singapore.