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Formula 1’s relocated Bahrain Grand Prix returned to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where the weekend was set to be shaped by heat, humidity, rain risk and tyre wear rather than outright pace. Temperatures were forecast to hover around 32C on Friday and Saturday and 31C on Sunday, with rain possible on all three days and the highest chance on Friday. The FIA declared a Heat Hazard for Sunday, saying the heat index could rise above 31C, which will require extra driver-cooling equipment and a higher minimum car weight.

Sepang had not hosted Formula 1 since 2017, and teams arrived with little current data and none of the present cars having raced there before. Pirelli brought the C2, C3 and C4 compounds in an effort to widen strategy options and reduce the gap between one-stop and two-stop races, but drivers and engineers still expected tyre overheating, heavy degradation and difficult energy deployment on the abrasive 5.543-km circuit. Fernando Alonso, George Russell and Carlos Sainz all pointed to those challenges, while Isack Hadjar said heavy rain would be hard to trust with the new wet and intermediate tyres. Williams chief trackside engineer Paul Williams said Friday practice would be especially important because of the heat, humidity above 80 percent, possible thunderstorms and limited relevant data.

Opening practice was completed in hot, humid conditions, with Max Verstappen fastest in FP1 ahead of George Russell. Isack Hadjar was third, followed by Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton, while McLaren had a muted start with Oscar Piastri 11th and Lando Norris 12th. FP2 was due to start at 16:00 local time, but was under threat from heavy rain chances and strong winds around the circuit, adding to the uncertainty for teams preparing for qualifying simulations and longer race runs.

FIA stewards confirmed a series of power-unit penalties after Friday practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, leaving Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto with grid drops for race day. Hadjar received a five-place penalty for using a seventh internal combustion engine, Lindblad was handed a 30-place penalty for exceeding limits on three components, and Colapinto took a 10-place drop for a fifth internal combustion engine.

Colapinto’s total grid loss rose to 15 places because of an earlier five-place penalty from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where stewards said he was wholly or predominantly to blame for a multi-car crash that eliminated him, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris. Colapinto said he was sorry for the incident and described it as an unintentional lock-up, while saying Alpine had moved on internally after the crash.

Hadjar said Red Bull would have a harder time matching its Baku form on a more traditional circuit, though he believed the team’s latest upgrade and race pace could still keep it in podium contention. He said the track offered enough overtaking chances to recover positions and added that he could push harder from the start than he could in Baku after easing back while returning from a wrist injury. The FIA also declared a heat hazard requiring driver cooling systems, and Mercedes is considering whether to take a similar penalty for George Russell depending on the circuit and race situation.

Christian Horner’s links to Ferrari have kept Fred Vasseur under the spotlight, but Martin Brundle said Horner privately told him he was only being polite when discussing Ferrari and is not interested in joining the team right now. Brundle said the former Red Bull boss is not focused on any Formula 1 role at the moment and is waiting for the right opportunity, even as a September interview ahead of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix fueled speculation that Horner could replace Vasseur. Horner has also been quoted saying Ferrari was the only team he would consider returning to without an ownership stake and calling a move there a dream, which has added to the talk around Maranello.

Vasseur remains under contract through 2027 after being re-signed last year, and Ferrari said this week that it has confidence in him and nothing has changed about his position. The team’s public support came after renewed scrutiny over its lack of podiums and its failure to mount a strong 2026 title challenge. Lewis Hamilton gave Vasseur his strongest backing yet, saying he is the right person to lead Ferrari in the right direction, that replacing him would be detrimental, and that criticism should also be aimed at people above him. Hamilton said Ferrari is more unified than before and credited Vasseur with helping lift the team to second in the constructors’ championship.

Other paddock figures were skeptical that Horner would be the answer at Ferrari. David Coulthard said a Horner move “ain’t happening” in the short term and called the speculation a distraction, while Guenther Steiner said there was not room for both Horner and Vasseur and that the scenario was not going to happen. Craig Slater reported that Horner has had on-and-off conversations with Ferrari for four years through chairman John Elkann, though the team’s hierarchy may be reluctant to appoint an Englishman as team principal. Slater also said Horner’s remarks were widely read as pressure on Vasseur, even though he was referring to Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari as a driver’s dream rather than targeting Vasseur directly.

Formula 1 returned to Sepang International Circuit for opening practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, the first time the series had raced there in nine years. Sepang was hosting the event because of the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, and more than half of the current grid were set to compete there for the first time. When Max Verstappen won the last Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017, several current drivers were still karting or in junior series, while Pierre Gasly made his Formula 1 debut that day.

Verstappen opened the weekend fastest in first practice with a lap of 1 minute 37.520 seconds, 0.383 seconds clear of Mercedes driver George Russell. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was third, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly. Mercedes also spent much of the session testing a major upgrade package on the W17, including changes to the floor, suspension and bodywork.

Teams treated the times cautiously on a dusty, low-grip track in hot, humid conditions, with Pirelli tires heavily challenged by the heat. Russell said the circuit felt “very cool,” and Leclerc said tire degradation was “insane.” The session ended with practice starts after teams completed qualifying and race simulations. McLaren struggled, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris only 11th and 12th.