Max in P4 after first day in Sepang: 'A decent start'

Published on 02 October 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

After Max Verstappen topped the timesheets in the first free practice session in Malaysia, the second session was slightly less successful on paper, with the Dutchman finishing fourth. Nevertheless, Max had a strong session, particularly during his long run. Charles Leclerc set the fastest time, ahead of Max’s Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Isack Hadjar in P2. Lando Norris’ McLaren followed in third, while Lewis Hamilton completed the top five at the 5.543km long Sepang International Circuit.

“I think we had a decent start to the weekend,” Max said after the second free practice session in Malaysia. “It’s tricky, the track is really hot and we have a lot of degradation. So there are a lot of things we need to figure out.”

Max continued: “It’s difficult to say if we made progress. It was warmer in FP2 than in FP1, and we were on a different program.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, Max said: “We have a lot of things to do, a lot to look at and try, and some things we need to understand better.”

At the start of the session, the air temperature is 33 degrees, while the track temperature reaches 61 degrees. There is also a 90% chance of rain during the session. Esteban Ocon is the first driver to head out on track, with the rest quickly following. Max is the last of the 22 drivers to join the action, doing so on a set of medium tyres.

Once most of the drivers have set a time, the Dutchman holds the fastest time, with Russell and Leclerc more than two tenths behind. “It feels like a lottery every time I get in the car,” Max reports over the team radio, indicating that the position of his seat felt different. Shortly afterwards, he also complains about the rear of his Red Bull bouncing as he makes his way back to the pits.

The first twenty minutes have passed and, so far, the track has remained dry. However, Liam Lawson reports a few drops of rain shortly afterwards, raising the question of whether the rain would actually arrive and persist. Leclerc manages to improve on Max’s time, which has stood since the opening stages, by more than two tenths on a set of soft tyres, taking over at the top of the timesheets while Max remains in the garage.

Halfway through the session, Max returns to the track after spending an extended period in the garage. He does so on a set of medium tyres he had already used earlier in the session. Meanwhile, Hadjar moves up to P2 on a fresh set of soft tyres. Max is now working through a race simulation with a high fuel load, judging by the lap times. Mercedes are also conducting a long run, although they are doing so on the soft tyres.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad are engaged in a spirited battle on track. The two spend several laps battling each other as if a podium in the race were at stake. The rain that was forecast at the start of the session still has not reached the circuit, and apart from a few drops, it remains dry. The track temperature has, however, dropped by ten degrees. The question is whether we will see any qualifying simulations towards the end of the session.

Ultimately, the answer appears to be no. With two minutes remaining, Bortoleto’s Audi comes to a halt with a gearbox problem, resulting in a Virtual Safety Car period. And with that, the first day in Malaysia comes to an end.

Results second free practice Bahrain: