Charles Leclerc topped second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, 0.099s quicker than Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, with McLaren's Lando Norris 0.137s behind in a tight session suggesting four teams could contest pole in Saturday qualifying at 9am live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event. Max Verstappen was fourth, 0.257s slower on mediums, opting not to run a qualifying simulation on softs despite topping FP1, focusing instead on long-run pace amid high tyre degradation at Sepang International Circuit. Red Bull's strong race simulations indicate Verstappen could secure his first pole and win of 2026.
Lewis Hamilton was fifth, three tenths behind teammate, under investigation for allegedly blocking Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto. Mercedes struggled despite a major upgrade, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli off the pace due to errors, while Russell admitted the team needs set-up adjustments to close the gap.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing