The Bahrain Grand Prix was full of incidents, starting with a delayed start. Race Control postponed the start due to standing water in several corners of the circuit. When the race finally got under way, still in difficult conditions, there was significant variation in tyre choices: nine drivers opted for Intermediates, while the remainder of the field selected either Softs or Mediums.

From the opening laps it was clear that the track was still too wet for slick tyres. A further six drivers therefore quickly pitted to switch to Intermediates. After nine laps, the Safety Car was deployed following Valtteri Bottas’ off-track excursion. At the restart, with the asphalt almost dry, all drivers returned to action on slick tyres. Over the course of the race, every compound in the range was used except the Full Wet.

Verstappen quickly built a margin over the two Mercedes drivers but saw his advantage wiped out by a Virtual Safety Car that was later upgraded to a full Safety Car. The Red Bull driver had in fact stopped ten laps before the neutralisation to fit a set of Softs. Both he and Kimi Antonelli, who eventually finished second, took advantage of the VSC to make an additional stop and fit another set of used Softs.

In the closing laps, Verstappen managed to hold off Antonelli and secure the victory. Lewis Hamilton finished third for Ferrari. The Ferrari driver was one of the few not to use Intermediates, choosing instead to start directly on Softs, on which he completed 31 laps. He then switched to a used set of Mediums before making a final stop during the Virtual Safety Car period for a set of used Softs, which he ran to the chequered flag.

Antonelli therefore followed an Intermediate-Medium-Soft-Soft strategy, while Verstappen opted for Intermediate-Soft-Soft-Soft, with Hamilton completing the race on Soft-Medium-Soft. The Sepang podium therefore featured three drivers from three different teams, each using a different strategy.

DARIO MARRAFUSCHI – PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR

“Sepang provided the first real opportunity this season to see significant use of the Intermediate tyre. In the conditions encountered today, its performance was positive, delivering a high level of grip and consistent performance throughout its stint length. In the closing laps, as the track continued to dry, a slight amount of graining appeared on the wet-weather tyres, although there were no particular wear concerns despite the highly abrasive surface.

The environmental conditions played a decisive role in the Malaysian Grand Prix. Temperatures were noticeably lower than those recorded in previous days and, following the downpour before the start, the track remained damp for much of the race. This helped keep tyre temperatures under control and reduced thermal degradation.

In this scenario, the Soft proved particularly competitive, enabling very long stints and delivering consistent performance, helped by teams gradually bringing it into the operating window tested on Friday. Some drivers managed to cover almost half the race on the softest compound, while the neutralisations prompted many teams to opt for the C4 in the closing stages. Both the Hard and Medium also displayed consistent and predictable behaviour, albeit with lower grip levels than the Soft, confirming themselves as viable options for both the frontrunning teams and those in the midfield.”

Hamilton began the session on the Medium compound before switching to the Soft. The same approach was adopted by Charles Leclerc, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. The rest of the field used only the C4. The polesitter used four new sets of Soft tyres and posted the fastest lap of the day on his final flying run, improving his personal benchmark in the final sector.

The highest temperatures of the day were recorded during the third free practice session, with track temperatures reaching 54°C before dropping as cloud cover moved in. All three compounds were used in FP3, although the majority of drivers focused their work on the C4.

Charles Leclerc was the only driver to run the Hard compound before switching to a new set of Softs. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar used the Medium, with the reigning World Champion setting his best time on the C3.

The top three drivers all recorded their fastest laps on the red-marked tyre. Kimi Antonelli was quickest with a time of 1:36.302, Verstappen finished second in 1:36.580, while his team-mate Hadjar ended the session third in 1:36.860.

The Pirelli Pole Position Award was presented by Alvin Chong, a popular Malaysian actor and singer. He is well known in both the Malaysian and Chinese entertainment industries.

DARIO MARRAFUSCHI – PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR

“Track conditions improved progressively throughout the day, allowing the Soft compound to deliver a very competitive level of performance in qualifying. Despite this, lap times remained significantly slower than those predicted by the simulations, indicating that the track evolution was not sufficient to close the gap.

In the attempt to extract the maximum potential from the C4 immediately, the degradation generated on the compound meant that no genuinely competitive laps could be completed after the first flying lap today. At the same time, in yesterday’s running it demonstrated that it can maintain an acceptable level of consistency over race distances when it is brought gradually into its correct operating window over the opening laps. This characteristic could prove particularly important tomorrow, given the number of Soft sets retained by several teams.

Tomorrow’s Grand Prix looks especially interesting from a strategic perspective. Most drivers have two sets of Hard tyres available, which should provide a solid option for the longer stints thanks to their greater thermal resistance and lower degradation compared to the softer compounds. On paper, the Medium-Hard-Hard and Soft-Hard-Hard combinations appear to be among the most competitive.

There are, however, some particular situations, such as those of Verstappen and Leclerc, who each have only one set of C2 tyres available and may therefore consider different approaches, making greater use of the Soft and Medium compounds or even evaluating three-stop strategies. In this scenario, the range of possibilities becomes much broader, with shorter stints and increased flexibility.

By contrast, we are unlikely to see one-stop strategies, which on paper offer no advantage in terms of total race time at a circuit where overtaking remains possible at several points around the track. Finally, there remains an element of uncertainty related to the weather, with a chance of rain that could influence the teams’ strategic choices.”

Isack Hadjar finished FP2 in second place with a time of 1:37.627, while Lando Norris recorded the third-fastest lap with a 1:37.665. The reigning World Champion ran exclusively on the C4, the Soft compound for this weekend, using two sets during the second hour of running. Hadjar and Leclerc also set their best laps on a set of Soft tyres, although both drivers additionally used a set of Mediums during the session. No driver ran on the Hard compound today.

During the second half of FP2, every team focused exclusively on race pace work. Tyre management is expected to play a crucial role on Sunday and, for that reason, teams sought to gather as much data as possible ahead of the Grand Prix.

In FP1, held in slightly cooler conditions than those seen in the afternoon, almost the entire field split its programme between Soft and Medium tyres. Only Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto ran exclusively on the red-marked compound.

Verstappen ended the day at the top of the combined classification thanks to the 1:37.520 he set on the C4 during FP1. In the opening hour of running, the Dutchman completed 16 laps on his second set of Softs and seven on the first.

George Russell set the second-fastest time with a 1:37.903, recording his benchmark lap on Soft tyres after completing an 18-lap stint on a single set of Mediums. Hadjar finished third with a 1:38.303 and, like his team-mate, focused exclusively on evaluating the Soft compound, covering eight laps on the first set and 15 on the second.

SIMONE BERRA – PIRELLI CHIEF ENGINEER

“Track conditions played a decisive role in tyre behaviour throughout this opening day at Sepang. From the outset, grip levels were low due to dust on the surface and a particularly abrasive track that requires a significant amount of rubbering-in before it can deliver its full potential.

This had a clear impact on track evolution and lap times, to the extent that Friday’s fastest lap remained virtually unchanged between FP1 and FP2. The benchmark time was more than four seconds slower than the qualifying simulation reference, a mark that the cars may struggle to approach tomorrow.

The sessions were also characterised by high thermal degradation, generated by tyre sliding and the nature of the track surface, with a significant impact particularly during the long runs.

The absence of the forecast rain during FP2 allowed teams to complete a number of race simulations, enabling us to gather substantial data on the C3 and C4 compounds, which displayed very similar levels of performance in terms of both pace and degradation.

At times, the Soft proved more consistent than the Medium because its higher level of grip helps limit sliding and, consequently, heat generation. The performance delta between the two compounds is around half a second, in line with expectations. The Hard remains an unknown quantity, however, as teams chose not to use it and instead preserve their available sets for the race.

With degradation levels similar to those seen today, performance drop-off is between two and three tenths of a second per lap. As a result, Sunday’s race could be shaped by two or more pit stops, which was precisely the outcome we hoped to encourage through the compound selection for this event. Before defining a more precise scenario, however, it will be necessary to carry out a further analysis of the data collected throughout the day.”

Located just a few kilometres from Kuala Lumpur, the circuit is 5.543 km long and combines lengthy straights with a series of high-speed corners, particularly concentrated in the middle sector. It is a track that generates medium energy levels through the tyres, placing it in a severity range comparable to Spa-Francorchamps and Shanghai. Ambient and track temperatures will be an important factor in tyre management, making thermal degradation one of the key variables throughout the weekend.

For the return to Kuala Lumpur, Pirelli has selected the C2, C3 and C4 compounds, designated respectively as Hard, Medium and Soft. This choice is slightly more aggressive than the harder trio that would have represented a more conservative option given the characteristics of the circuit. The objective is to provide teams with a broader strategic range and create conditions in which the time difference between one-stop and two-stop strategies is reduced.

Sepang features a relatively abrasive surface, with a level of roughness comparable to Bahrain, while retaining its own distinctive characteristics. Grip levels are likely to be low on Friday but should improve progressively over the course of the weekend as the track evolves. One of the main challenges facing teams will be thermal management across both axles.

The circuit has undergone several changes in recent years. In 2023, the section between Turns 6 and 12 was resurfaced, with further work carried out in the area around Turn 9. However, the overall characteristics of the surface, as assessed by Pirelli engineers just a few weeks ago, remain very similar to those recorded in 2017.

More recently, from the beginning of September, additional surface levelling work was carried out to remove irregularities in the asphalt, alongside cleaning operations aimed at improving track conditions ahead of the World Championship event.

Teams will also have to contend with a lack of available data. Despite being a historic venue, no team possesses truly relevant references relating to the current generation of Formula 1 cars.

As a result, Friday practice sessions will be more important than usual, both for drivers, who will need to familiarise themselves with a circuit that many have only experienced in the simulator, and for teams, which must identify the correct car balance and assess tyre behaviour.

While there is no shortage of technical unknowns, the weather could add a further layer of complexity. Afternoon thunderstorms are a regular feature of the region in early October and could affect any session during the weekend. Intense heat, high humidity and sudden downpours have always been among the defining characteristics of the Malaysian Grand Prix during its years as a permanent fixture on the Formula 1 calendar.

STATISTICS

The upcoming event will be the twentieth Grand Prix held at Sepang, which was part of the Formula 1 calendar from 1999 to 2017. The driver with the most victories in Kuala Lumpur is Sebastian Vettel, with four wins, one more than Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. Schumacher also shares the record for pole positions at the Malaysian circuit with Lewis Hamilton, with both drivers having started from pole five times. Among the teams, Scuderia Ferrari holds the record with seven victories.