Kimi Antonelli: Another unknown factor emerges ahead of the weekend in Malaysia
The free practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia—the 16th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season—concluded without the much-feared rain. Leading the pack is a Ferrari, driven by Charles Leclerc, who set the fastest time in the second session with a lap of 1:37.528. Behind him was Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull, 99 thousandths of a second behind, while Lando Norris’s McLaren finished in third place, with a personal best time 137 thousandths of a second slower than the Monegasque driver’s.
As for the World Championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, Friday at Sepang presented an additional uncertainty on top of those—shared with the other drivers—related to fears of rain and tire wear due to the track’s very high temperature (over 60 degrees during free practice). In fact, the driver from Bologna was unable to finish higher than fifth in the morning session (more than a second off Max Verstappen’s best time) and eighth in the afternoon session, more than five-tenths behind Leclerc.
Friday’s results showed Antonelli far from the leading positions, partly due to a factor that should not be underestimated: this is, in fact, the Bolognese driver’s very first time at Sepang, a track that has been absent from the F1 World Championship since 2018 and which this year is hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix following its relocation from Sakhir—a decision made by the FIA and Liberty Media due to geopolitical circumstances in the Middle East.
His lack of experience on the Malaysian track certainly poses a challenge, but the young Mercedes driver has already demonstrated on multiple occasions that he can adapt quickly to new environments. For this reason, Friday’s results may not be particularly indicative: with more kilometers under his belt and a better understanding of the circuit, the story could change significantly by the time qualifying and the race roll around, allowing the World Championship leader to return to the fight for the positions that matter.
