F1’s wait for rain goes on as practice in unfamiliar Malaysia stays dry

Formula 1’s replacement race in Malaysia was meant to be the ultimate test in the rain. It hasn’t arrived yet.

Both practice sessions on Friday defied the forecast of heavy rain to stay dry and keep things uncertain about how this year’s cars will cope if wet weather comes.

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were the pacesetters in the two sessions on a day of learning for standings leader Kimi Antonelli, who’s looking to bounce back from what he’s called his “worst weekend” of the season.

The unusually named Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes Antonelli and his rivals to a track F1 last visited in 2017, returning to the schedule because of the disruption caused by the Iran war.

Malaysia has a history of chaotic races and sudden downpours and the abrasive asphalt tends to chew up tires, too. It could be the first real wet race since F1 shook up its regulations for 2026.

Verstappen led first practice by 0.383 seconds from George Russell, winner of last week’s race in Azerbaijan, with Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar third. Leclerc was fastest by .099 from Hadjar in the second as Lando Norris placed third for McLaren.

Antonelli was fifth in the first practice session and eighth in the second.

Antonelli seeks to put ‘very disruptive’ week behind him

Antonelli still has a dominant 66-point lead over Mercedes teammate Russell, but that was trimmed from 81 last week after his crash in qualifying made for damage limitation in Azerbaijan.

Antonelli scrambled from 16th on the grid to finish fifth, helped by plenty of incidents ahead of him, while Russell held off Verstappen for his first win in nearly three months.

“Last weekend was probably the worst weekend from me, from my side of the season,” the 20-year-old Antonelli said.

“It was what I needed on Sunday, I needed a clean result after a very disruptive weekend. After the race, I wasn’t happy with the result and everything but I learn many things and the most important is that I need to always be 100%.

“I need to really do my best to achieve the best result because if I don’t do everything right, or I don’t try to do everything right in my power, then nothing is going to come my way.”

George Russell: a revived title challenger

The 28-year-old Russell has made no secret of his struggles getting used to the 2026 cars, as he’s had to watch his younger teammate dominate week-in, week-out.

After using the mid-season break to change his approach, a process he’s likened to a golfer getting used to a new swing, Russell finally seemed comfortable in Azerbaijan.

He went fastest by nearly a second in qualifying, and his narrow margin of victory over Verstappen in the race owed more to an unusual yellow-flag decision on track than anything else.

Mercedes has brought a package of upgrades to its car this week, something Russell predicts could help him.

“I’m enjoying it more than I have done recently because I just feel more at one with the car and hopefully this new upgrade with a few characteristic changes that will also play into my favor a bit more,” he said Thursday. “Bring it on.”

Hamilton defends Ferrari amid poor results

Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari remains united as he criticized attempts to “break our spirit” after the Italian brand confirmed it retains confidence in Fred Vasseur as team principal.

“Outside sources seem to be so negative towards us as a team and trying to break our spirit, but they’re not succeeding,” Hamilton said.

The latest speculation over Vasseur’s future came after former Red Bull boss Christian Horner told the Times of London last week that Ferrari was the only team in F1 he’d consider joining without an ownership stake, calling it “the dream” and a “sleeping giant.”

Meanwhile, Ferrari is struggling on the track, with no podium finishes in the last five races for Hamilton or Leclerc.

“We had a good beginning of the season,” Vasseur said Friday. “For sure, it’s not enough. We want to get more, we want to win more, we want to win the championship. We are struggling the last couple of races, but we are hoping to come back soon with development and to be back into the pace.”

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