Leclerc Leads Chaotic Malaysia Practice as Sepang's Rough Surface Catches Teams Off Guard

Formula 1's one-off return to Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit — the first visit in nine years — got off to a turbulent Friday, with Charles Leclerc topping second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Isack Hadjar by just 0.099 seconds, and Lando Norris third for McLaren. Max Verstappen was fourth after setting his quickest time in the session, while Mercedes failed to impress as much as many had anticipated heading into the weekend.

The headline story from Friday, however, was the state of the Sepang circuit itself. Lap times came in more than four and a half seconds slower than Pirelli's pre-event simulations, with the poor track surface catching teams and tyre suppliers alike off guard. The rough conditions also contributed to unusual run plans across the paddock — most notably from Verstappen's Red Bull camp — as teams scrambled to adapt their strategies to a circuit that proved far tougher to tame than expected. Malaysia's daily monsoons stayed away from the track, but the surface itself more than made up for it in terms of unpredictability.

Off the track, Lewis Hamilton continued to generate headlines. The seven-time champion went viral on social media after offering warm praise for Fernando Alonso's contract extension with Aston Martin, with fans widely hailing Hamilton as a "legend" for his comments. Hamilton has also been in the spotlight for his appearance at September's Italian Grand Prix, where details of the custom outfit he wore during his now-iconic arrival at Monza — stepping out of a restored Ferrari F40 — have been revealed.

Meanwhile, Mercedes driver George Russell was left "lost for words" by a gesture from Malaysian fans ahead of the race weekend. A video shared on the team's social media channels showed Russell holding an extraordinarily thick scrapbook gifted to him by supporters, a touching moment marking F1's long-awaited return to Sepang. Qualifying is next on the agenda as teams look to make sense of a circuit that has already defied expectations.