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Leclerc Tops Bahrain FP2 as Mercedes Stumbles at Sepang
Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2-3 in a rain-threatened session, while Hamilton was referred to stewards over an alleged blocking incident.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc topped Friday's second practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, setting the pace ahead of the weekend's qualifying and race.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was relocated to Sepang, 40 miles south of Kuala Lumpur, after the Middle East conflict forced cancellations of the original Bahrain and Saudi Arabian events earlier this season.
Leclerc finished 0.099 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, with world champion Lando Norris third, while Max Verstappen strategically avoided using soft tires during his qualifying simulation runs.
Stewards summoned Lewis Hamilton to investigate alleged impeding of Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, while Bortoleto's session ended prematurely when his car stopped on track with a suspected gearbox issue.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli placed seventh and eighth respectively, after both aborted their fastest laps during the hour-long session held under threatening skies that never delivered rain.