Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the pace in the second practice session on Friday as teams continued preparations for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The session, part of the standard Friday running, allowed drivers and engineers to assess car balance and tyre behaviour under near‑race conditions.
Practice priorities
Friday practice is typically used to test race trims, long runs and different tyre compounds rather than to produce outright lap records, and Leclerc's top time came in the context of teams gathering data for the rest of the weekend. Engineers will analyse the information from the session to refine suspension, aerodynamics and power unit settings ahead of qualifying.
Ferrari performance
Leclerc's pace will be noted by rival teams as they weigh up their approaches to tyre usage and cooling in the upcoming sessions. While a quick time in practice underlines potential race pace, teams stress that running programmes can vary widely and that Friday order does not always translate directly to qualifying or race results.
Looking ahead
Attention now turns to further practice and qualifying, where teams will aim to convert Friday's learnings into a stronger grid position. With setup choices, track evolution and tyre management all influencing performance, the remainder of the weekend will reveal how significant Friday's running will be for the contest at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.