Leclerc tops Sepang practice, Verstappen fourth in Free Practice 2
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 2, 2026
Leclerc tops Sepang
Charles Leclerc topped second practice at Sepang International Circuit with a 1:37.528 lap, taking the fastest time of the session by 0.099 seconds over Isack Hadjar. Lando Norris followed in third, Max Verstappen was fourth on medium tyres after skipping a soft-tyre qualifying simulation, Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, Oscar Piastri was sixth, George Russell seventh and Kimi Antonelli eighth. Arvid Lindblad took ninth, and he is expected to face a grid penalty after a new power unit installation. The session also produced a late interruption when Gabriel Bortoleto stopped and triggered a virtual safety car. Hamilton then faced a stewards’ investigation for allegedly impeding Bortoleto at Turn 9.
Verstappen leads first practice
Verstappen set the pace in first practice with a 1:37.520 lap at Sepang International Circuit, 0.383 seconds faster than Russell. Hadjar was third, Leclerc fourth, Antonelli fifth and Hamilton sixth, while Piastri landed 11th and Norris 12th. Lindblad was ninth in the opening run as well, leaving him with back-to-back top-10 results before any penalty is applied. Free Practice 1 highlighted heavy tyre degradation on the abrasive Sepang surface.
Mercedes upgrades tested
Mercedes arrived with an upgrade package for Sepang, including revised sidepods, an updated floor and diffuser and rear-suspension changes. The picture at the front moved from one session to the next. Verstappen led first practice, then Leclerc answered in second practice. Hadjar backed up his speed by going third in first practice and second in the second session. Norris moved from 12th in the opening run to third later in the day, while Piastri improved from 11th to sixth. Russell went from second to seventh and Antonelli from fifth to eighth. Hamilton stayed in the upper half of the timing sheets in both sessions, finishing sixth and then fifth, while Bortoleto’s late stop brought out the virtual safety car.
