Leclerc leads the way in Bahrain GP FP2 as Hamilton called in before stewards

According to the initial forecasts, the session was expected to be hit by a heavy shower after the first 15-20 minutes. However, the rain never arrived, allowing the drivers to complete the entire session in dry conditions.

The Monegasque set the pace in FP2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, putting Ferrari at the top of the timesheets after a closely fought session. Leclerc's benchmark was enough to put him 0.099 seconds clear of Isack Hadjar, with Lando Norris a further 0.038s behind in third. The gaps at the front remained extremely tight, with just 0.137s separating the top three.

Max Verstappen was also within touching distance of the Ferrari, finishing fourth with a deficit of 0.257s to Leclerc. However, he was the only one of the front-runners to set his time on the medium tyres, highlighting the potential Red Bull may have had to go even quicker. Lewis Hamilton placed fifth, 0.305s off his team-mate’s pace, while Oscar Piastri followed in sixth for McLaren at 0.371.

Hamilton was also involved in a heated moment during FP2 after finding himself in the middle of the track with Gabriel Bortoleto approaching at high speed from behind. The Ferrari driver’s positioning left the Brazilian with little room for manoeuvre, forcing him to make a sharp move to the left to avoid a potential collision.

Bortoleto reacted angrily over team radio, making his frustration with Hamilton clear as he questioned the Ferrari driver’s actions. The Brazilian appeared particularly unhappy that Hamilton seemed to know he was approaching but still remained in his way.

The incident did not go unnoticed by the stewards, who summoned Hamilton at the end of the session to hear his side of the story.

The two Mercedes drivers were instead further down the order than usual, occupying lower positions than they have typically done, with George Russell seventh and Kimi Antonelli eighth, separated by just 0.040s.

Further down the order, Liam Lawson finished ninth for Racing Bulls, while Pierre Gasly completed the top ten with a gap of 1.060s to the benchmark. Bortoleto also ran into problems towards the end of the session, with the Audi driver coming to a stop on track and being forced to abandon his FP2 programme.