Max Verstappen showed strong race pace in Malaysia practice despite Red Bull focusing on long runs over qualifying simulation.

Max Verstappen emerged as the fastest driver in Friday's long-run practice simulations for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, despite not completing a qualifying run on soft tires. The Red Bull driver focused on medium tire data collection during second practice, finishing with the best race pace when adjusted for different compounds and stint lengths.

George Russell followed 0.19 seconds behind Verstappen in the race simulations, with Charles Leclerc third at 0.32 seconds. The long-run analysis suggested Red Bull holds a slight advantage for Sunday's race, though the competitive gaps remain small enough that multiple teams could challenge for victory.

The practice sessions demonstrated the extreme tire degradation expected at Sepang, with both soft and medium compounds showing around three-tenths of a second degradation per lap. This high wear rate points toward a likely two-stop race strategy if degradation levels remain similar during the weekend.