Ferrari ended the second free practice session for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on top, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time in 1:37.528 and Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth, 0.305 seconds behind. It was an encouraging response after a more difficult FP1, although the highly changeable track conditions in Malaysia mean the Friday order should still be treated with caution.
This year’s Bahrain Grand Prix is being held exceptionally in Malaysia because of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, and Sepang has already produced an unusual challenge for the Formula 1 teams. Grip levels changed significantly throughout Friday, while tyre degradation also emerged as one of the factors likely to shape the rest of the weekend.
Ferrari responds after a difficult first practice session
The opening practice session had provided relatively little reliable information about outright performance. The Sepang circuit was particularly dirty and offered very little grip, preventing several teams from showing their true potential.
Ferrari struggled especially over a single lap, partly because of the lower-downforce setup being used, according to Federico Albano. It was an area that required further work before FP2. The SF-26 looked considerably more convincing during the race simulations, however, showing consistent pace until the closing stages, when both traffic and tyre degradation began to affect the lap times.
That first-session picture had already suggested that tyre wear could become one of the decisive issues of the weekend. Ferrari therefore entered FP2 needing to improve its qualifying performance without sacrificing the encouraging long-run characteristics seen earlier in the day. The contrast with FP1 can also be followed in ScuderiaFans’ analysis of Ferrari’s Bahrain GP FP1 performance at Sepang.
Charles Leclerc takes Ferrari to the top in Bahrain GP FP2
Ferrari began the first stint with both cars on new medium tyres. After the opening attempts, Charles Leclerc sat third, around three tenths behind the benchmark set by Max Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton was fifth and almost eight tenths away from the fastest time.
Neither Ferrari driver managed to improve during the following laps, although the same pattern was visible throughout much of the field as tyre performance began to fall away. Very few drivers improved after their first proper flying lap, prompting Ferrari to bring both cars back into the pits.
Twenty minutes into the session, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton returned to the circuit on soft tyres for the traditional qualifying simulations. Lewis Hamilton’s quick lap initially moved him into second place, only around half a tenth behind the time previously set by Max Verstappen.
Just a few seconds later, Charles Leclerc crossed the line and moved to the top of the timesheets, establishing a margin of roughly two tenths over second place. It represented a significant improvement in Ferrari’s single-lap performance compared with the difficulties experienced during the opening session.
Ferrari also looks competitive on the long runs
After completing their qualifying simulations, both Ferrari drivers were called back into the garage. Charles Leclerc was the first to return to the track for the race-pace programme, running on a used set of soft tyres, before Lewis Hamilton followed on the same compound.
Charles Leclerc looked particularly strong and was among the best performers during the simulation. His stint was disrupted only towards the end, when Franco Colapinto’s presence effectively took the Monegasque driver out of the ideal operating window.
Lewis Hamilton also produced a positive long run, although his pace was slightly slower than that of his Ferrari teammate. Red Bull and McLaren were also competitive during this phase, while Mercedes appeared to encounter greater difficulties.
With around ten minutes remaining, Ferrari switched Charles Leclerc onto the medium compound and continued his race simulation. Lewis Hamilton made the same change shortly afterwards. The SF-26 again performed well on the medium tyre, giving Ferrari another encouraging reference point as the team builds towards qualifying and the race.
The result adds another useful data point to the developing picture around Charles Leclerc’s 2026 Ferrari campaign, while Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari performances continue to show how closely matched the two cars can be across different phases of a race weekend.
Why Ferrari is remaining cautious despite topping FP2
Despite Charles Leclerc finishing FP2 in first place, the order seen on Friday is unlikely to provide a definitive indication of the competitive hierarchy for Saturday and Sunday. Sepang’s fluctuating grip levels remain an important variable, while teams are also likely to refine or significantly alter their setups after analysing the first two practice sessions.
That means Friday’s running could ultimately prove less representative than the timing screens suggest. A clearer picture should begin to emerge in the third free practice session, when the teams will have another opportunity to optimise their cars before qualifying.
Ferrari can nevertheless take encouragement from the way the SF-26 adapted to the changing conditions. The car improved considerably over a single lap compared with FP1 and remained competitive during the longer runs on both soft and medium tyres.
The challenge now will be to preserve those strengths as the track evolves and the teams move towards their final setups. Further developments around the SF-26’s behaviour, setup choices and tyre management throughout the weekend can be followed in ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis section.
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