Leclerc Tops F1’s Return to Malaysia, But Hamilton’s Shadow Steals the Headlines

Formula 1 returned to Sepang after nine years away from the Malaysian circuit, and the welcome back was exactly what everyone expected: brutal heat, tight pace across several teams, and a Lewis Hamilton controversy that ended up stealing a big chunk of Friday’s headlines.

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of FP2, a 1:37.528 that gives Ferrari some breathing room after a weaker FP1. But while the Monegasque was celebrating his quick lap, his teammate was getting himself into trouble that could still carry consequences.

The Bortoleto clash that went to the stewards

Midway through the session, Hamilton crossed Gabriel Bortoleto’s path, forcing the Audi driver to take evasive action to avoid contact. Over the radio, Bortoleto didn’t hold back: “What the f*** is this guy doing?” he fired off, visibly furious. What stands out is that, according to the post-session report, Hamilton appeared to know the Brazilian was approaching and still stayed in his way.

Ferrari’s side of the story was different: Hamilton had been reporting trouble seeing through his right-hand mirror at exactly that moment. Race control noted the incident in real time and shortly after upgraded it to an official post-session investigation. No penalty has been confirmed yet, but the possibility of a reprimand is on the table.

This isn’t the first time this season the Briton has found himself in this kind of situation. Just a few weeks earlier, in Madrid, he was at the center of another controversy for continuing to drive a damaged car despite instructions from his team. The pattern is starting to draw attention.

What happened on track, beyond the Hamilton story

Setting the Hamilton-Bortoleto affair aside, the session showed a fairly tight fight between four different teams up front. Isack Hadjar confirmed that FP1 was no fluke, finishing second just a tenth behind Leclerc and cementing Racing Bulls as a genuine surprise this weekend. Lando Norris put McLaren in the mix in third, while Verstappen, who had dominated FP1, dropped to fourth, 0.257 seconds off the pace.

Antonelli and Russell, running Mercedes’s new floor and sidepod package introduced at Sepang, couldn’t break into the frontrunners, finishing seventh and eighth respectively. For a team looking to rebuild the advantage it had earlier in the season, this wasn’t the afternoon they were hoping for.

PRACTICE 2 RESULTS

Colapinto’s last place finish lines up with the 15-place grid penalty he carries into qualifying, a combination of his Baku collision sanction and an extra power unit element.

What’s next

With FP3 and qualifying still to come, Ferrari arrives with the best pace of the day but also a question mark over whether Hamilton will start the weekend with a pending sanction. Leclerc, on the other hand, appears to have found the balance that was missing in the morning session.

Do you think Hamilton’s move on Bortoleto deserves a penalty, or was it just an unintentional scare? Let us know your take in the comments and share this piece if you enjoyed Friday’s recap from Sepang.

Sources: planetf1.com, gpblog.com, grandepremio.com, paddocknews24.com, crash.net, f1-fansite.com, en.wikipedia.org