Hello and welcome to live coverage of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. This race, originally scheduled for April, faced postponement due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. As a result, Formula 1 returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the Sepang circuit near Kuala Lumpur set to host the event.

With temperatures soaring, this meeting has been declared a heat-hazard race. The stakes are particularly high as Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli looks to extend his impressive 76-point lead in the standings. His teammate, George Russell, aims to build on his recent victory in Baku last weekend.

Several drivers face challenges ahead of the race:

• Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, and Franco Colapinto will receive grid-place penalties for exceeding the allowed number of Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) this season.
• Colapinto already faced a five-place penalty due to a crash involving Pierre Gasly and a frustrated Lando Norris at the Azerbaijan GP. Although Norris initially called for a one-race ban for Colapinto, he later issued an apology for his remarks.

Q1 in Malaysia kicks off at 9am BST, 4pm local time, and 6pm AEST. Let’s roll!