Charles Leclerc Tops FP2 at Bahrain GP in Malaysia Ahead of Hadjar and Norris
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets during second practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Friday, October 2, setting a lap time of 1m37.528s at Sepang. The session stayed dry despite a 90% threat of rain forecast for the afternoon.
Sepang Weather Threat Triggers Early Soft Tyre Runs
Formula 1 returned to the Sepang International Circuit for the first time since 2017 on behalf of Bahrain, and the weekend immediately ran into weather complications. Forecasts initially suggested a 70% chance of rain before rising to 90%, creating an unusually hectic start to Friday’s second practice session as all 22 drivers hurried onto the circuit. Teams were desperate to gather representative lap times on an unfamiliar track surface carrying minimal recent data.
Leclerc set his benchmark time halfway through the one-hour session using the soft compound tyre. The driver crossed the line 0.099 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar. McLaren driver Lando Norris placed third-fastest after his team made adjustments to his rear wing to match the specification used by teammate Oscar Piastri during the first session. Max Verstappen finished fourth, spending the session conducting long runs on medium tyres rather than chasing single-lap pace on softs.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1m37.528s |
| 2 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +0.099s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.137s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.257s |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.305s |
Mercedes Drivers Struggle as Hamilton Faces Investigation
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished down the order in seventh and eighth positions respectively. Both drivers utilized soft tyres but were forced to abort their flying laps, leaving them off the pace.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five, finishing three-tenths behind his teammate Leclerc. Hamilton found himself under investigation by the race stewards following an incident where Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto complained on team radio that the seven-time champion blocked his path during a quick lap. Hamilton separately reported visibility issues with his right rearview mirror.
Track action also featured a wheel-to-wheel battle between Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson and Audi’s Bortoleto through all three sectors. Bortoleto later brought out a Virtual Safety Car in the final minutes of the session after his car stopped in the middle sector, halting any late improvements on the timesheets.
Weekend Schedule and Broadcast Details
On-track sessions continue ahead of Sunday’s grand prix. Final practice takes place on Saturday, October 3, from 05:30 to 06:30 BST, followed by the qualifying session from 09:00 to 10:00 BST. Sunday’s race is scheduled to start at 08:00 BST, with build-up coverage beginning at 07:45 BST.
Live radio commentary remains available across BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and smart speakers, while television coverage includes post-race programming on BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
