Ferrari's Leclerc fourth, Hamilton sixth in Bahrain Grand Prix FP1 at Sepang
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and sixth fastest in the opening practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia's Sepang circuit.
- 4th
- 6th
- 1'38"367
- 1'38"590
What Happened
Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton set the fourth and sixth fastest times in the first free practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, being held at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. They began the day on Medium tyres, with Leclerc completing nine laps and Hamilton seven on a particularly dirty track. Before switching to Soft tyres, Leclerc set a time of 1'39"786 and Hamilton posted 1'40"081. Both drivers then set their best times on the softest compound: 1'38"367 for Leclerc and 1'38"590 for Hamilton.
- 4th fastest; best time 1'38"367; 25 laps
- 6th fastest; best time 1'38"590; 21 laps
46laps
Leclerc completed 25 laps and Hamilton completed 21 in FP1.
- The track was particularly dirty at the start, and conditions gradually improved.
- Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton began on Medium tyres, completing nine and seven laps respectively.
- Leclerc set 1'39"786 and Hamilton posted 1'40"081 before switching to Soft tyres.
- Both drivers set their best times on the softest compound: 1'38"367 for Leclerc and 1'38"590 for Hamilton.
- In the final quarter, Leclerc completed a long run on Soft tyres to reach 25 laps, while Hamilton switched back to Medium tyres and reached 21 laps overall.
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Before the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, Ferrari returned to the circuit for the 16th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season, F1's first visit to Malaysia since 2017. Charles Leclerc said Sepang's high-speed corners should suit Ferrari better than Baku, but warned that the fight at the front leaves no room to stand still. Lewis Hamilton praised Malaysia, called the circuit one of the calendar's most demanding, and publicly backed Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur.
- Ferrari returns to Sepang for the Bahrain Grand Prix, F1's first visit to Malaysia since 2017
- Leclerc says Sepang should suit Ferrari better than Baku as F1 heads to Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
- Hamilton gives Vasseur "full trust and support" ahead of Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
This opening practice session gives an early read on Ferrari's pace for the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend at Sepang. Charles Leclerc ended FP1 ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, and both set their fastest laps on the softest tyre compound.
Terms in This Story
- Free Practice 1
- The first official practice session of a Formula 1 race weekend, used by teams to test car setup and tyre behaviour.
- Tyre compound
- A specific rubber specification that trades grip against durability; softer compounds generally offer more grip but wear faster.
- Degradation
- The gradual loss of tyre performance as rubber wears during a run.
- Monegasque
- A person from Monaco.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.