Ferrari targets race pace as Sepang brings a new challenge

Ferrari heads into the Sepang event facing a different challenge from those of recent weeks. Formula 1’s return to the Sepang International Circuit is expected to disrupt the recent benchmarks, according to Fred Vasseur, who anticipates significant tyre degradation. The team principal therefore wants the set-up focused on race pace.

“This weekend, I think it will be much more difficult to get a good understanding of what to expect, because degradation will dominate,” Vasseur said. He described a sharp change from the recent events, when tyre wear had been very low: “We had almost zero degradation. This weekend will be another story. So we have to shift our focus a little and concentrate much more on race pace.”

At the previous event, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ferrari had been forced to add aerodynamic downforce to address a lack of grip. Before Baku, Vasseur had warned that the weekend would not be among the easiest of the season, citing a substantial straight-line deficit. At Sepang, he now expects the competitive order to be upended.

In the first practice session, Max Verstappen set the fastest time, ahead of George Russell and Isack Hadjar. Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth. Ferrari is also second in the constructors’ championship, 160 points behind Mercedes.