Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped the timesheets as Formula 1 returned to the Sepang track for the first time in nine years for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Verstappen was 0.383 seconds quicker than George Russell, winner last week in Azerbaijan, in an upgraded Mercedes.

The second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar was third fastest, 0.783secs off the pace, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, split from his team-mate Lewis Hamilton by championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was seventh fastest, ahead of the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who will start from the back of the grid as a result of a grid penalty for using too many engine parts.

Hadjar also has a grid penalty – expected to be five places – for the same reason.

F1 has returned to this track, regarded as one of the best layouts among the new generation of circuits that came on stream at the end of the last century and into this one, because of the circumstances around this year’s calendar.

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were cancelled at the beginning of the year as a result of the war in the Middle East.

But Bahrain were keen to hold their race and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa negotiated to hold the race in Malaysia.

A bunch of Bahraini-related activities are being held at the track, while the trophy presented will be the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy and rosewater rather than champagne will be sprayed on the podium.

The first session was marked by drivers commenting on the high level of tyre degradation caused by the abrasive surface, and Russell in particular noticed this was high on the Mercedes.

Questioning it on his race-simulation run late in the session, he was told his tyre wear did appear to be “an outlier” compared to that of Verstappen.

Mercedes have introduced their first major upgrade since the Canadian Grand Prix, with a new floor and rear bodywork.

They expected McLaren to be the team to beat at this track, but the world champions had a low-key first session, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris down in 11th and 12th places.