Welcome to the boiling-hot Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, where the race was moved due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, bringing F1 back to Sepang for the first time since 2017. The air temperature hovered around 33C with heavy humidity, but the real heat was on the track as qualifying got underway. Max Verstappen didn’t mess around, immediately laying down a blistering marker to take pole. But the spotlight was firmly on Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who faced a massive scare. After having his first quick lap wiped for breaching track limits, the championship leader had to scramble for a fresh set of soft tyres and pull off a brilliant save to lock in second place. Aston Martin enjoyed a solid session, with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fighting their way through to Q2. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto pulled off a fantastic lap to secure his spot in the top ten, while Pierre Gasly grabbed the final ticket to Q3. With grid penalties for Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, and Franco Colapinto shaking up the lineup, and the track temperature soaring to a crazy 58C, the stage is set for a proper thriller of a race tomorrow.
