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Formula One news from Autosport, RaceFans, and BBC Sport.
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said a set-up mistake in Friday’s second practice session left Oliver Bearman without useful information to prepare for qualifying at Sepang. Bearman said tyre degradation and a lock-up also affected his performance, which he described as short of the team’s true potential.
Mercedes principal Toto Wolff said the team expected its W17 upgrade to improve performance by about three tenths of a second, but instead lost time at Sepang. He cited drag, understeer and unusual car behaviour as issues the team is investigating.
Max Verstappen took pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, 0.298 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton, after leading all three qualifying sessions. Isack Hadjar qualified third but will start eighth after a five-place penalty, promoting championship leader Kimi Antonelli to third on the grid.
Max Verstappen claimed provisional pole for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Four drivers face grid penalties, including two separate penalties for Franco Colapinto.
A RaceFans reader argues that Ferrari’s management was dysfunctional when Fred Vasseur took over in 2023, but its technical foundations were already strong. The reader contrasts that situation with the one Jean Todt faced in the mid-1990s.
Mercedes championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in final practice at Sepang, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. The session was the first dry running on the hard race tyre at the Malaysian circuit since its return to the Formula 1 calendar.
High tyre degradation and a poor track surface drove teams to prioritize race simulations during Friday practice for the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. With no data on the hardest tyre compound and rain forecast before second practice, qualifying and Sunday’s strategy remain uncertain.
The FIA stewards fined Scuderia Ferrari HP €10,000 and gave Lewis Hamilton a formal warning for impeding Gabriel Bortoleto during practice. They cited Hamilton’s damaged right-hand mirror as mitigation, while finding Ferrari should have warned him about faster approaching cars.
Max Verstappen chose a long-run programme on harder tyres in second practice at Sepang because he was concerned rain might arrive. He finished fourth as Charles Leclerc set the pace and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar came within a tenth on softs.
Alpine executive consultant Flavio Briatore questioned why Arvid Lindblad escaped a penalty for a collision with Liam Lawson at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Franco Colapinto was penalised. Alpine is 15 points behind Racing Bulls in the fight for fifth in the championship after losing six points in Baku.
With seven or eight Formula 1 weekends left in 2026, Red Bull is focused on avoiding a winless season and learning what it needs for next year. Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar say the remaining races offer time to test ideas and identify changes for the RB23.
RaceFans published a photo gallery from practice for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit on Oct. 2, 2026. The gallery was credited to Keith Collantine, with more images to be added.
Charles Leclerc set the pace in second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, beating Isack Hadjar by 0.099 seconds. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and faces an investigation over impeding Gabriel Bortoleto, while rain threats prompted drivers to run soft tyres early.
Franco Colapinto will drop 15 places and Arvid Lindblad will start from the back of the grid after their teams changed power unit components for this weekend’s Malaysian race. Valtteri Bottas also received new parts but remains within his allocation and avoids a penalty.
Max Verstappen set the pace in the opening practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, 0.383 seconds ahead of George Russell. Drivers reported heavy tyre wear at Sepang, where Formula 1 returned for the first time in nine years amid changes to this year’s calendar.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto will start from the back row at Sepang after taking a fifth Mercedes internal combustion engine of the season. The penalty adds 10 places to a five-place drop carried over from his Baku collision with Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.
Mercedes has introduced a major floor and sidepod update for Formula 1’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, aiming to strengthen its position in both 2026 championships. The team will race in a teal and black livery recognizing title partner Petronas.
Daniel Ricciardo won the Malaysian Grand Prix on Oct. 2, 2016, while a power-unit failure left Lewis Hamilton facing a difficult fight in the season’s final races. Hamilton said afterwards that something did not feel right.
Malaysia’s Sepang circuit will host a one-off Formula 1 race in 2026 as a stand-in for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Its abrasive surface, high heat, energy demands and afternoon downpours could challenge teams and drivers with unfamiliar conditions.
Formula 1 could hold a single replacement race at Imola if it abandons plans for Qatar and Abu Dhabi, after cancelling its April rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Drivers said a December event in northern Italy would likely bring cold weather and earlier darkness, but Max Verstappen said neither conditions nor taxes should pose a problem.
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