Oscar Piastri improved from 11th in FP1 to sixth in second practice at Sepang, saying McLaren look “a tiny step behind” the leaders but much stronger after a difficult Friday morning as Formula 1 returns to Malaysia.
Formula 1 is racing at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit for the first time since 2017 this weekend, with the venue hosting the rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix after the Sakhir round was relocated amid the Middle East conflict, according to ABC News.
FP2 bounce after a tough FP1
FIA classification showed Charles Leclerc fastest in FP2 in 1:37.528, with Isack Hadjar second and Lando Norris third. Max Verstappen was fourth and Oscar Piastri sixth in 1:37.899, 0.371s off Leclerc, after finishing 11th in FP1. Teammate Norris had been 12th in the morning session.
Speaking to Formula1.com, Piastri said: “We definitely looked better in FP2 than FP1. FP1 we were struggling a lot, to be honest. Things seemed a bit more positive [in FP2].”
“I think it looks pretty, pretty close amongst the top four teams,” he added. “I think Red Bull have looked very strong through the day. I think Mercedes as well have looked strong at points and obviously Ferrari were pretty good then. So everyone’s kind of had their turn being reasonably competitive. I think we’re maybe a tiny step behind, but we made a lot of progress from FP1. So hopefully we can keep that trend going and we’ll see where we end up.”
McLaren senior racing director Randy Singh told Formula1.com the track had lower grip and was rougher than expected: “That caught us a little bit by surprise… I think we struggled getting the car in a good window in FP1, but a lot of good work at the track, and at the factory, in FP2. I think the car is in a much better place.”
Sandpaper surface and Baku context
Piastri, who has not previously raced at Sepang, told ABC the 5.543km track looks like sandpaper and tyre degradation will be a major factor. Pirelli has also warned teams about the abrasive surface. After Baku, where he finished 14th but felt back in control, he told Speedcafe he wants to “finish the job in terms of results” while keeping an eye on 2027.
Unconfirmed at package time (~7:45am AEST Sat): FP3 and qualifying results (qualifying scheduled ~9am AEST Sat); race-day impact of Mercedes’ Sepang upgrades; whether storms disrupt remaining sessions. Race day is Sunday afternoon AEST.
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