Friday’s practice sessions for the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix hosted in Malaysia diverged from the norm in multiple ways. A degraded track surface caused lap times to drop by four and a half seconds compared to expectations, Mercedes failed to deliver the striking performance many anticipated, and team run programs were highly unconventional.
This deviation was especially noticeable in Max Verstappen’s program. Typically, competitors wrap up their qualifying simulations mid-way through the second practice before transitioning to high-fuel long runs for the remaining time. However, with the FIA projecting a 90% likelihood of rainfall prior to FP2, numerous garages opted for a cautious approach, effectively advancing their long-run schedules.
“My goal was to get a long run done early just in case the wet weather arrived,” Verstappen explained when questioned about his atypical Friday schedule.
Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Wache, further noted that the squad prioritized collecting intelligence on the most crucial variable for the Sepang race weekend: tyre wear.
“Our priority was to safeguard the long run, which represents the critical factor this weekend regarding degradation, to observe tyre behavior—particularly on the medium compound. Lacking prior information on the mediums, we focused our efforts there, which ultimately left us with no time left to test the soft tyres,” Wache remarked.
Deconstructing the primary obstacle for F1 teams at Sepang
This highlights two key points. To start with, the statement demonstrates that analyzing single-lap times from Friday’s running in Kuala Lumpur is virtually meaningless. Real clarity comes solely from the high-fuel runs, which means the Friday timesheet carries even less weight than it normally would.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Image credit: Joe Portlock / Getty Images
Furthermore, it emphasizes that the strategy adopted by F1 squads in Malaysia departs from standard grand prix weekends. Typically, garages strike a compromise between single-lap pace and managing tyre life—specifically on the rear axle—during the Grand Prix, but on this occasion, tyre preservation takes absolute precedence.
“The levels of degradation we observed today were remarkably elevated. The only other instance in recent memory with comparable wear was the weekend in Barcelona,” noted Simone Berra, Pirelli’s chief engineer.
“Our measurements indicated a performance drop-off of approximately 0.2 to 0.3 seconds per lap on both the medium and soft options. Consequently, this rate of wear is highly critical. Garages must focus heavily on controlling rear tyre temperatures, while simultaneously protecting the fronts through the rapid sweeps.”
Additionally, this dynamic can easily spiral into a destructive loop at Sepang, according to insights provided by the sport’s tyre manufacturer from Friday’s sessions.
“Because of the compromised track surface, traction levels were extremely low on both compounds. This severely intensified thermal degradation, as sliding generates elevated tread temperatures, which in turn reduces grip, prompting further sliding and leading back to even higher temperatures in an ongoing cycle.”
Preventing thermal breakdown is essential to escape this negative feedback loop, though achieving this is highly challenging. While the rear axle remains the dominant issue on this rear-limited circuit, the front tyres cannot be ignored either. Balancing both demands simultaneously presents a major engineering hurdle.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Image credit: Srinivasa Krishnan
“Crucially, the rear axle gets absolutely no break on this layout. Controlling the temperatures is incredibly tough; drivers must prevent the car from sliding both through fast curves and during acceleration phases,” Berra detailed.
“At the same time, maintaining a steady lap time is vital, as is preventing excessive stress on the front tires.
“It becomes highly intricate since you essentially have to look after both ends of the car; the front tires are also prone to running hot and wearing out. It is far from straightforward. Ultimately, it requires a trade-off regarding which axle you are willing to sacrifice more. My expectation is that every team will prioritize defending the rears, as rear-end slide compromises overall lap times far more than front-end degradation.”
Uncertainty looms over qualifying: Could we see an unexpected result?
Consequently, the overnight preparations and data review for the engineering teams differ vastly from what they faced just a week prior at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“Baku featured minimal tyre wear, making a front-row starting slot absolutely vital. In contrast, grid position carries much less weight here,” Berra added.
“Overtaking is highly feasible here, particularly given the severe tyre degradation. Drivers who successfully manage their tyre temperatures and retain performance can run longer stints or attack harder than their rivals. Thus, your starting slot is far less critical compared to other venues.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Image credit: Michael Potts / LAT images via Getty Images
Even so, this intense concentration on long-run performance ensures that teams will approach qualifying with far more unknowns than usual, even under completely dry skies.
Without naming specific outfits, Berra revealed that certain teams actually had difficulty heating their tyres sufficiently before reaching the first corner of a hot lap on Friday. Though surprising given the intense ambient heat, this phenomenon stems directly from setups heavily tailored toward rear-tyre preservation and race-distance pace.
Another intriguing aspect involves the lack of predictability for Sunday’s race. In a defensive move, every team chose to preserve two sets of the hard compound, which leaves everyone—Pirelli included—completely without real-world running data on the C2 tyre this weekend.
Furthermore, under these severe circumstances, the standard assumption that harder rubber automatically performs better over a race distance might not hold true.
“I anticipate significant wear even on the hard tyre, because a firmer compound offers less mechanical grip, causing the car to slide more and consequently driving up surface temperatures,” Berra pointed out.
“We observed a similar trend today when evaluating the soft and medium options. Head-to-head long-run data showed the soft compound experiencing matching or sometimes even lower degradation than the medium. This occurred because the medium slid more, whereas the soft was, in a sense, easier to manage. Consequently, multiple strategies remain viable for Sunday.”
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
Image credit: Srinivasa Krishnan
This open-ended scenario is positive news for the spectacle, as it is likely to foster diverse strategic choices—precisely the outcome Pirelli hopes to generate.
“Each of the three tyre specs is a viable option, especially since we are expecting a two-stop or potentially a three-stop grand prix. At this stage, nothing is ruled out,” Berra summed up.
“This opens up a wide array of strategic approaches, which aligns perfectly with our goal of encouraging varied tactical battles on track.”
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