Sepang:Ferrari's Charles Leclerc excelled in the second free practice session at the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, securing the fastest time today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Leclerc, who initially placed fourth with a time of 1 minute 38.367 seconds in the first practice, improved to lead the second session with a lap of 137.528. Red Bull Racing's Isack Hadjar closely followed in second place, just 0.099 seconds behind Leclerc with a time of 137.627, while McLaren's reigning world champion Lando Norris secured third with a time of 137.665.

Max Verstappen, who topped the initial session for Red Bull Racing, finished fourth in the second practice with a time of 137.785. Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team's George Russell came seventh, clocking in at 138.020, while the current drivers' championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, finished eighth with a time of 138.060.

The final practice session is set to start at 1230 pm tomorrow, followed by the qualifying session later in the day.

In July, Formula 1 confirmed that Malaysia would host the Gulf Air Bahrain GP from October 2 to 4, after reaching an agreement with the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain. This agreement ensures the Bahrain GP remains on the 2026 F1 calendar, following its earlier cancellation due to geopolitical issues in West Asia. Malaysia last hosted the Malaysian GP at the Sepang International Circuit from 1999 to 2017 before it was removed from the F1 calendar.