SEPANG, Oct 2 — Nine years after conquering Sepang International Circuit (SIC), four-time Formula 1 (F1) world champion Max Verstappen is showing he has lost none of his touch at the iconic Malaysian circuit.
The Red Bull Racing driver returned to the scene after being the last Malaysian Grand Prix (GP) champion in 2017 here by topping the first practice session for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 here today.
Verstappen dominated the session after clocking 1 minute 37.520 seconds (s) on a hot and sunny afternoon.
The Dutchman was 0.383 seconds faster than Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s George Russell, who finished second in 1:37.903s, while Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar was third in 1:38.303s.
