Ferrari produced a clear response in Bahrain Grand Prix FP2 at Sepang, with Charles Leclerc taking first place and showing encouraging long-run pace after a difficult opening practice session. The competitive picture remains extremely tight, however, with race performance appearing more important than outright qualifying speed and Ferrari still needing to address instability at the rear of the SF-26.
The second practice session offered a much more interesting picture than FP1, although not necessarily one that was easier to interpret. Almost every team brought its race-pace work forward, partly because of the threat of rain and partly because Sepang’s characteristics have already made the weekend’s main priority clear: tyre degradation and long-run consistency.
Ferrari FP2 telemetry puts long-run pace at the centre
Overtaking at Sepang is relatively straightforward compared with many Formula 1 circuits, while tyre degradation remains extremely high. That shifts the ideal setup compromise towards race pace, making a few extra tenths over a single qualifying lap less valuable than protecting performance across a stint.
That explains why teams were in such a hurry to move from qualifying simulations to heavier-fuel race runs. The broader change from the opening session was particularly significant for Ferrari, which had struggled to put the car into its ideal operating window earlier in the day. The technical problems seen during the opening session can be compared with the Sepang FP1 telemetry analysis.
Ferrari changes direction after difficult FP1
Ferrari’s Friday can ultimately be considered positive, especially because of the reaction between the two sessions. In FP1, the SF-26 had appeared outside its operating window, running relatively unloaded and struggling to perform effectively through the faster corners.
The picture changed noticeably in FP2. The setup appeared much better centred, while several of the positive characteristics seen earlier in the season returned, particularly Ferrari’s ability to manage tyre degradation. The improvement followed substantial setup work, with the changes to the car examined in more detail in our Ferrari SF-26 FP2 technical analysis.
Charles Leclerc nevertheless continued to show a clear limitation in managing the rear of the car. On several occasions, the Ferrari moved significantly and the Monegasque driver was forced to make corrections, particularly on corner exit.
Watching Charles Leclerc behind the wheel gave the impression of a driver having to manage the car with extreme precision, carefully avoiding rear-end movements that could compromise not only the lap itself but also tyre temperatures. Once he found the right approach, however, Charles Leclerc was effective both on a single lap and during the longer race simulation.
That is an important indication for Ferrari because it suggests that the setup direction chosen after the morning session was the correct one. Lewis Hamilton appeared to have more difficulty, particularly during the second half of his stints. The British driver showed a greater tendency to lose performance as the laps accumulated, suggesting that tyre-temperature management was more complicated on his side of the garage.
Red Bull confirms strong Sepang performance
Red Bull reinforced the positive impression it had already made during FP1. Isack Hadjar was highly competitive over a single lap, while Max Verstappen completed a solid and consistent race simulation.
The RB22 continues to display clearly defined strengths. It is particularly effective through medium-speed and medium-fast corners while also maintaining strong speed on the straights. Some difficulties remain in the slower sections, where Red Bull continues to lose ground relative to its rivals, highlighting the challenge facing the Milton Keynes engineers in optimising the aerodynamic package across every corner type.
The remaining question is whether the current Red Bull package will be sufficient once everyone begins pushing at maximum performance.
Mercedes remains part of the leading group
Mercedes was perhaps the most difficult team to assess on single-lap pace because neither George Russell nor Kimi Antonelli managed to complete a genuinely clean and representative attempt. The race simulations provided slightly more information.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli appeared broadly in line with, or marginally behind, the references established by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. The differences were not large enough to alter the overall picture, with Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes appearing capable of forming a tightly packed battle in race conditions.
High degradation could repeatedly change the competitive order as each stint develops. Mercedes nevertheless showed an improved W17 balance compared with FP1, although major questions remain around the power unit, which was being run conservatively on Friday, and the balance effects of the substantial new upgrade package.
That package is still some distance from being fully optimised and, for the moment, appears to be creating additional work for the Brackley engineers.
McLaren hides its single-lap pace but protects the tyres
McLaren remained extremely difficult to judge on outright pace. Its single-lap performance was again hard to interpret in FP2, but the behaviour of the car during long runs continued to attract attention.
The most obvious characteristic was tyre longevity. McLaren’s stints began relatively slowly, but performance remained remarkably stable afterwards. As rival cars progressively started losing lap time, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were able to maintain their rhythm and eventually match, and in some cases exceed, their competitors’ pace.
On a circuit where degradation could become one of the defining elements of the race, that is an important indication and keeps McLaren firmly among the teams capable of playing a major role during the weekend.
Sepang race pace battle could change with every stint
After two practice sessions, there is still plenty left to understand. Weather remains an ever-present variable at Sepang, while the circuit itself is expected to evolve quickly as more rubber is laid down.
Qualifying will reveal more about absolute performance, but Friday has already provided one important indication: this weekend may be determined less by one-lap speed and more by how each car behaves from stint to stint. The complete practice trends can also be followed through the ScuderiaFans F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis.
For Ferrari, Charles Leclerc’s P1 and strong long-run performance represent an encouraging response after FP1, but managing the SF-26’s rear instability and controlling tyre temperatures remain important areas of work. Charles Leclerc has also highlighted the importance of Sepang’s evolving surface and persistently high tyre degradation, two factors that could continue reshaping the competitive order throughout the weekend.
The balance of power between Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren therefore remains open. With degradation likely to shift the relative strengths of the cars throughout each stint, the Malaysian Friday suggests a race that may continue changing all the way to the chequered flag.
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