By: Good morning to all our Formula1.it readers. The first hour of free practice at Sepang is about to get under way. As you will no doubt know, due to the conflicts in the Middle East, the organisers of the Bahrain GP have opted to use the Sepang circuit in order to stage the event despite it taking place away from its home territory. Abu Dhabi could face the same fate, with Imola set to host the final round of the championship in December.
We pick up from the result in Baku. Russell, 66 points behind Antonelli, will look to repeat his Azerbaijan result in an attempt to put pressure on Kimi in this closing stage of the season. Something the championship leader will be keen to avoid. McLaren and Red Bull will want to confirm the progress made in recent races, while Ferrari must provide a concrete response on track, as well as through statements, to the persistent rumours suggesting Vasseur's position is becoming increasingly precarious. Ferrari confirmed its confidence in its current team principal this week: the threat appears to have faded, but a response on track would also be welcome.
Before turning our attention to the FP1 live coverage, let us take a look at the Pirelli tyre allocation for the Bahrain GP: Hard C2, Medium C3 and Soft C4 compounds will be available, the middle combination in the range (image: Pirelli graphic).
Pit lane opens: 06:30 Italian time. Live coverage begins at 06:15.
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Cover photo by Peter Kiss / WHYOUT Images
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Bahrain GP 2026
