That is 0 articles you have read today.
The Aporia is free and carries no advertising, so readers are the only
thing paying for it. If you are getting this much out of it, a small
donation is what keeps it independent.
Daily limit reached
You have read 0 articles today.
That is more than the 15 a day The Aporia gives away,
and well past what it can carry on nothing. Your allowance resets at
midnight.
There is no advertising here and nothing about you is sold, so readers
are the only thing paying for it. If the site is worth this much of
your day, it is worth a few dollars.
Everything else stays open: the
maps, the
directory and
search do
not count against this, and neither does re-opening something you have
already read today.
Max Verstappen led practice for an unusual Formula 1 event held at Malaysia's Sepang circuit due to cancellations of the original Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen was followed closely by George Russell, with Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar third. Several drivers noted significant tyre wear on the abrasive track surface. Mercedes introduced new upgrades but faced unexpected high degradation from their tyres compared to others.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix was held at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia this weekend, marking its return to the country after a nine-year absence. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, secured pole position with a time of 1:35.130 seconds, his first of the season. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton qualified second, despite Mercedes having brought an upgrade package to Malaysia; George Russell started seventh, leaving team boss Toto Wolff puzzled by their performance.
The track at Sepang is described as resembling "sandpaper" due to its rough surface and high temperatures, causing significant tyre degradation. Red Bull introduced a major aerodynamic update following the Azerbaijan race, which proved effective on this demanding circuit. With Verstappen's teammate Isack Hadjar facing a five-place grid penalty, championship leader Kimi Antonelli is set to start third alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, positioning him well for Sunday's race.
Verstappen's performance underscores his dominance and potential for another strong season, while Mercedes faces questions about their competitiveness after the upgrades failed to deliver expected results.
Written for “F1 In Malaysia” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
Red Bull's Max Verstappen topped the timesheets as Formula 1 returned to the Sepang track for the first time in nine years for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
asserted
Formula → publish → Malaysia
Verstappen was 0.383 seconds quicker than George Russell, winner last week in Azerbaijan, in an upgraded Mercedes.
asserted
Verstappen → upgrade → Mercedes
The second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar was third fastest, 0.783secs off the pace, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, split from his team-mate Lewis Hamilton by championship leader Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes.
asserted
Bull → split → Mercedes
Alpine's Pierre Gasly was seventh fastest, ahead of the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who will start from the back of the grid as a result of a grid penalty for using too many engine parts.
asserted
who → start → parts
Hadjar also has a grid penalty - expected to be five places - for the same reason.
asserted
Hadjar → have → reason
F1 has returned to this track, regarded as one of the best layouts among the new generation of circuits that came on stream at the end of the last century and into this one, because of the circumstances around this year's calendar.
asserted
that → return → calendar
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were cancelled at the beginning of the year as a result of the war in the Middle East.
asserted
races → cancel → East
But Bahrain were keen to hold their race and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa negotiated to hold the race in Malaysia.
asserted
Khalifa → hold → Malaysia
A bunch of Bahraini-related activities are being held at the track, while the trophy presented will be the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy and rosewater rather than champagne will be sprayed on the podium.
asserted
rosewater → relate → podium
The first session was marked by drivers commenting on the high level of tyre degradation caused by the abrasive surface, and Russell in particular noticed this was high on the Mercedes.
asserted
this → mark → Mercedes
Questioning it on his race-simulation run late in the session, he was told his tyre wear did appear to be "an outlier" compared to that of Verstappen.
asserted
wear → question → Verstappen
Mercedes have introduced their first major upgrade since the Canadian Grand Prix, with a new floor and rear bodywork.
asserted
Mercedes → introduce → bodywork
They expected McLaren to be the team to beat at this track, but the world champions had a low-key first session, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris down in 11th and 12th places.
asserted
champions → expect → places
The Aporia
