Liam Lawson achieves top 10 finishes in Malaysia F1 practice
Thursday 1 October 2026 · 4 outlets · 5 reports · updated In this story Liam Lawson, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Kimi Antonelli
New Zealander Liam Lawson finished in the top 10 during both Friday practice sessions at the Sepang International Circuit. Driving for Racing Bulls, Lawson placed eighth in the first session and ninth in the second. Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session.
Key facts
5 facts
- Liam Lawson finished 8th in FP1 and 9th in FP2
- The Bahrain Grand Prix is being held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia
- Track temperatures reached over 60C during the sessions
- Charles Leclerc recorded the fastest time in FP2 at 1m 37.528s
- Max Verstappen recorded the fastest time of the day in FP1 at 1m 37.520s
The full story
1 min read · 3 outlets
New Zealander Liam Lawson recorded two top 10 finishes during Friday's practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit. Lawson finished eighth in the first practice session and ninth in the second. He finished ahead of his Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad, who placed ninth and 11th respectively.
Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session with a time of 1m 37.528s. Isack Hadjar finished second in the second session, while Lando Norris placed third.
The event, originally scheduled for April in Bahrain, was moved to Malaysia due to conflict in the Middle East. Drivers faced extreme track temperatures exceeding 60C and high tyre degradation. The sessions were completed in dry conditions despite a forecast of rain.
Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fifth in the first session and eighth in the second. George Russell finished seventh in the second session. The sessions were interrupted by a virtual safety car after Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto stopped on track due to gearbox issues.
Compiled from reports by NZ Herald, RNZ and 1News.
