Max Verstappen showcased his dominance at the Sepang International Circuit during the first practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, setting a blistering pace of 1:37.520. This session marks F1's return to the iconic track for the first time since 2017, where Verstappen, the winner of that last race, quickly found his rhythm in his Red Bull car, leading by three-tenths of a second.

George Russell, fresh off his victory in Baku last week, placed second in a Mercedes that received significant aerodynamic upgrades for this weekend. This update, the first major one since the Canadian Grand Prix in May, includes a new floor, rear suspension, and rear corner adjustments. Although Russell's team aims to fully evaluate the revised W17’s performance, his teammate Kimi Antonelli struggled, finishing fifth but a full second behind Verstappen.

In contrast, Ferrari appeared off the pace, with Charles Leclerc in fourth and Lewis Hamilton in sixth. McLaren faced challenges as both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished outside the top ten, in 11th and 12th respectively.

Amid the hot and humid conditions of Malaysia, tyre degradation became a key factor, particularly for Mercedes, who noted they were experiencing higher wear on soft tyres towards the end of the session.

The upcoming schedule for the Bahrain GP includes multiple practice sessions, qualifying, and the main race, all set to unfold over the weekend.