The 2026 F1 FP2 session got underway in Malaysia with teams looking to build on a busy opening hour at Sepang, as the field continued to relearn a circuit Formula 1 had not visited since 2017.
Max Verstappen set the pace in FP1, leading George Russell and Isack Hadjar in a hot, low-grip session where track evolution played a major role. Drivers immediately headed out when the pit lane opened, with Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad starting on soft tyres while most of the field began on mediums.
Grip remained limited early on, and Oscar Piastri was among those to report the tricky conditions as the racing line slowly cleaned up. Teams also used the session for set-up work, with Racing Bulls running flow-vis paint on Liam Lawson’s rear wing and McLaren comparing different rear wing specifications across its two cars.
Verstappen eventually lowered the benchmark to a 1:37.520, finishing 0.383s clear of Russell, while Hadjar completed the top three despite reporting a lack of front-end grip. Behind them, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly followed, with McLaren ending the session outside the top ten.
With track temperatures climbing to 57 degrees Celsius and several drivers running wide over Sepang’s kerbs, FP2 offered a clearer chance to assess whether Verstappen’s early advantage would hold once teams switched focus towards longer runs and more representative conditions.
Green lights
The 2026 F1 FP2 session in Malaysia began with immediate action as the threat of rain pushed teams into early running. Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman and Nico Hülkenberg headed out on medium tyres, while Mercedes told George Russell that rain would arrive rather than simply remain a possibility.
McLaren also changed its programme after FP1, with Lando Norris switching to Oscar Piastri’s rear wing specification following the team’s earlier comparison work.
Verstappen leads early running
Lewis Hamilton initially led the early times from Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson, before Russell moved to the top with a 1:38.020. Leclerc then slotted into second, just 0.019s behind, with Kimi Antonelli only a further 0.021s back in third.
Max Verstappen quickly picked up where he left off after topping FP1. The Red Bull driver moved fastest on mediums, going 0.235s quicker than Russell as Red Bull again showed strong early pace.
With rain threatening, Mercedes soon switched Russell and Antonelli onto fresh soft tyres. Lawson, Ocon, Williams and Bearman also moved to the red-marked rubber, bringing the qualifying-style runs forward.
Russell looked competitive through the first part of his lap but aborted in the final sector after running wide at the final corner. Antonelli also failed to improve, later losing his lap time after going wide at the same corner.
Leclerc moves to the front
Hamilton then improved on soft tyres to go second, just 0.048s behind Verstappen’s medium-tyre benchmark. Piastri followed in third on his own soft run, 0.066s behind the Ferrari.
The order changed again when Leclerc completed his soft-tyre lap. The Ferrari driver went fastest with a 1:37.528, just over a tenth clear of Norris, while Verstappen remained third after continuing on used mediums rather than switching to softs.
The stewards also noted an incident involving Hamilton and Gabriel Bortoleto at Turn 9 for possible impeding.
By halfway, the rain threat had eased as the sky cleared over Sepang. Hadjar then moved into second, 0.099s behind Leclerc, although the Racing Bulls driver faces a five-place grid drop for Sunday’s Grand Prix after taking another internal combustion engine.
Teams turn to race simulations
With the track staying dry, several teams shifted towards longer runs. Verstappen continued on his original medium tyres, which had reached 10 laps, as Red Bull gathered data for Sunday’s race.
Leclerc stayed on softs at the start of his race simulation, allowing Ferrari to assess how long the C4 tyre could last as part of a possible two-stop strategy. Hamilton and the Mercedes drivers also returned to the track on soft tyres.
Further down the order, Bortoleto produced a lively moment while trying to race Lindblad. The Audi driver skated wide over the kerbs during one attempt and immediately asked the team to check the floor. He later tried another move at Turn 15, but Lindblad held firm.
Fernando Alonso also had a battle with Valtteri Bottas before locking up and flat-spotting his front tyre.
Bortoleto stoppage ends session under VSC
The session ended under Virtual Safety Car conditions after Bortoleto stopped on track. The Audi driver removed his steering wheel and climbed out of the car, while marshals moved in to recover it.
Replays suggested Bortoleto had suffered a possible hydraulics or gearbox-related issue, with the Brazilian also appearing to lose steering wheel lights before stopping.
The VSC prevented any late improvements, leaving Leclerc fastest at the end of FP2. Hadjar finished second ahead of Norris, while Verstappen stayed in the pits during the closing moments and did not return for a practice start.
Full Results: 2026 F1 FP2 Session in Malaysia
