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Max Verstappen set the fastest time in Friday’s opening practice session at Sepang International Circuit, clocking 1:37.520 for Red Bull Racing. George Russell was second for Mercedes, 0.383 seconds behind, and Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar was third, 0.783 seconds off the pace. This was an FP1 result—not a qualifying or race outcome.
FP1 result: Verstappen leads Russell and Hadjar
The FIA’s 2026 classification lists Verstappen first with a 1:37.520 lap. Russell finished 0.383 seconds behind, while Hadjar was 0.783 seconds behind the fastest time. The official classification and gaps are available in the FIA session classification.
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap to Verstappen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | — |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 0.383 seconds |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 0.783 seconds |
These figures describe one practice session. They do not establish the qualifying order or predict the race result.
Why the event is called the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
The official 2026 event title is “Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia,” but the venue is Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur. The event page lists the weekend as 2–4 October 2026. The title should not be confused with the historical Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix, which was last held at Sepang in 2017. Formula 1 described the 2026 visit as the circuit’s first F1 event since 2017. See the official 2026 event page and the 2017 Malaysia Grand Prix archive.
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How the session unfolded
FP1 began at 12:30 local time in hot, humid conditions at the 5.5 km circuit. Verstappen moved to the top around 15 minutes into the session. Hadjar briefly led after drivers switched to soft tyres; Russell then moved ahead of him before Verstappen set the eventual fastest lap.
Tyre strategies varied. Most drivers started on medium tyres, while Verstappen, Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto were among those who began on softs. More drivers later tried soft tyres for faster laps, while Russell and Kimi Antonelli returned to mediums. Mercedes also brought an upgrade to the event, and McLaren split rear-wing configurations between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. These are details of the session and team choices, not proof that any one factor explains the final order.
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Formula 1’s FP1 report attributes the radio comment “This track is very cool” to Russell.
What Verstappen’s lead does—and does not—show
The result gives Red Bull an early benchmark at a circuit returning to the F1 calendar after a long absence. But FP1 is an initial practice session, and differing tyre compounds and run timing make the order a limited snapshot rather than a settled measure of weekend pace. Later practice, qualifying and the race will provide separate results.
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