Source: Official Team Post via X
Leclerc Leads FP2 in Malaysia: A Ferrari Surge at the Bahrain Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc set the pace during the second practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, now held at Sepang in Malaysia. Leclerc's Ferrari led the timesheets ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and McLaren's Lando Norris.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in the second practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia this year. As the drivers navigated the familiar Sepang International Circuit, Leclerc's best lap of 1:37.528 was enough to edge out competition from Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and McLaren's Lando Norris.
The session began under a canopy of threatening clouds with a high likelihood of rain, prompting teams to take to the track early. The threat of a downpour was a strategic concern as drivers lined up on medium tires, except for a few who chose the soft compound. Among those on softs were the McLaren and Cadillac teams, along with Pierre Gasly.
Max Verstappen, fresh from leading FP1, set an early benchmark in FP2 but had to contend with a few niggles, including discomfort with his seating position. Meanwhile, his teammate Hadjar reported some oscillations in the RB22, but managed to clock a time just shy of Leclerc's.
As the session unfolded, drivers like Mercedes' George Russell and Kimi Antonelli switched to soft tires, seeking quicker laps. However, Antonelli's effort was invalidated due to track limits, and Russell aborted his lap, leaving them with unsatisfactory times.
The session wasn't without its tense moments. Gabriel Bortoleto found himself in a close call with Lewis Hamilton, leading to a heated radio exchange and a stewards' note for potentially impeding the Mercedes driver.
Despite the ominous weather, the skies cleared midway through the session, allowing Leclerc to hold his top spot. As the clock ticked down, only Verstappen and Franco Colapinto had yet to swap to softs, with Verstappen opting to stick with mediums, focusing on long runs.
The session's only major hiccup came as Bortoleto's car came to a stop on track, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car. As the session concluded, Leclerc's time stood unbeaten, Hadjar was a close second, and Norris rounded out the top three.
Verstappen ended up in fourth, having skipped the soft tire runs, followed by Hamilton in fifth, whose incident with Bortoleto remained under review. The rest of the top ten included Oscar Piastri, Russell, Antonelli, Liam Lawson, and Gasly.
Further down the order, drivers like Arvid Lindblad, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, and Fernando Alonso rounded out the field, all looking to gather data before Saturday's final practice and qualifying sessions.
With day one complete, teams now have a night to analyze their data and prepare for a potentially rain-affected Saturday, which promises more on-track intrigue.