Formula 1 is back at the iconic Sepang track for the first time in nine years, but as Crash.net reports, it is happening under an unexpected banner as Malaysia hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend on behalf of the Gulf kingdom due to the war in the Middle East preventing it from taking place at its usual Sakhir location.
That unexpected comeback has already left the paddock heading into the unknown. Teams are dealing with a severe lack of data with no modern F1 running taking place at Sepang since the last grand prix held in the country in 2017. But it is one of the old-school track's most brutal characteristics giving everyone the biggest headache: its extremely rough asphalt.
Friday practice made it abundantly clear that high tyre degradation is going to rule the weekend. Drivers experienced massive levels of deg during practice, sparking strong suggestions that Sunday's grand prix could easily turn into a two or even three-stop race.
“The tyres are having a very hard time because it’s very hot out there, they are overheating on surfaces and bulk temperature is hot as well, so whoever gets on top and that challenge best is going to prosper this weekend,” conceded Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord. Lord added that a baseline strategy points to two stops, noting that three-stoppers have been seen here in the past and that qualifying will demand a single lap tyre.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur agreed, emphasizing that the event is a massive shift away from recent low-deg rounds like Madrid, Monza, and Baku, meaning race pace will rely almost entirely on degradation management. Pacesetter Charles Leclerc echoed the sentiment, noting that the tyres simply are not lasting for very long and he does not expect it to improve significantly.
Out on the track, the drivers were left in no doubt about the abrasive surface. Alex Albon described the tarmac as extremely aggressive, while Ollie Bearman labelled it incredibly rough. Sergio Perez quipped that the degradation is so severe it is like Pirelli did the tarmac, while also explaining that Cadillac had tried a very radical set-up to combat the issue only to make things worse. Nico Hulkenberg noted how the super rough tarmac has aged a lot since the last visit, and Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad pointed out the irony in the weekend's name, noting that the driving style required is very similar to actual Bahrain.
All of this is set to dominate set-up choices and strategy, which could be thrown into even more chaos by Malaysia's unpredictable climate. Weather conditions stayed dry through FP1 and FP2 despite forecasts of rain, but storms could yet tear through proceedings on both Saturday and Sunday.
