Max Verstappen set the early pace at Sepang as Formula 1 touched down in Malaysia for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver topped the opening practice session by nearly four tenths, putting down a strong marker before the weekend gets serious. George Russell in the Mercedes came through in second spot, finishing just 0.383 seconds down, which tells you how tight things are shaping up to be.

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Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc put on an interesting Ferrari show for fourth and sixth respectively, separated by just 0.223 seconds. The Scuderia boys sitting close together in the timesheets suggests they've got a decent setup rhythm going, though they're still chasing down the front runners. Hamilton's return to Malaysia as a Ferrari driver continues to draw headlines, and his proximity to Leclerc shows he's already settling into the team's fight.

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The midfield packed in pretty tight too. Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes proved himself once again with fifth place, while the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris wound up 11th and 12th. Pierre Gasly in the Alpine grabbed seventh, sandwiched between the Red Bulls after Isack Hadjar's impressive third place showing for the team. It's looking like Sepang could serve up some proper entertainment come race day.

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The real talking point from Friday morning though is just how compressed the grid looks. Outside the top three, there's barely a second separating the cars all the way down the order. That's the modern F1 formula right there. With practice sessions still to come and qualifying looming, we're far from knowing where everyone truly stacks up. Sepang's heat and humidity could throw another curveball at strategies too, making Sunday's race anyone's to win.

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