Antonelli fastest from Verstappen ahead of qualifying in Malaysia
Source: Sky Sports ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
Kimi Antonelli topped the final practice session at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.278 seconds and setting the stage for a Mercedes‑Red Bull showdown for pole position in the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix. Antonelli, who leads the Drivers’ Championship by 66 points over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, posted the fastest lap after a challenging Friday, while Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar completed the top three. Russell was fourth, more than half a second off Antonelli’s pace, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth respectively, despite Hamilton’s positive feedback on his final lap. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri occupied seventh and eighth, with Norris’ best time set on medium tyres, hinting at potential improvement.
The session highlighted the impact of the unusually rough track surface and the high heat and humidity that accompany Formula 1’s return to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, making tyre performance a central talking point. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, carrying a 15‑grid‑place penalty for a collision in Baku and a new engine change, managed ninth, while Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten. A brief red‑flag interruption occurred when debris from Turn 10 lodged on Oliver Bearman’s Haas, prompting marshals to clear the track before practice resumed.
Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m., with the race slated for Sunday at 8 a.m., both broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. The weekend’s timetable includes build‑up coverage starting at 6.30 a.m. on Sunday, and the event marks the Bahrain Grand Prix’s debut at Sepang, underscoring the significance of the venue’s return to the F1 calendar and its potential influence on the championship battle.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Global commerce typically shrugs off small shocks, but keeps one eye open.
- ▶Economies far from the headline can still catch the aftershocks.
🏙️Local Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶The buzz around big fixtures spreads to the local economy.
- ▶Local car parks and taxi ranks tend to fill up fast around fixtures like this.
🏦Rates & Bankslow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Borrowing plans are usually safe from sudden shocks over something like this.
- ▶Mortgage offers may firm up or soften as the picture becomes clearer.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶A heavy defeat can dent morale briefly, but rarely for long.
- ▶Watching a big match together can be its own kind of stress relief.
💷Wealthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Portfolios built for the long haul rarely need a rethink over one headline.
- ▶Short-term wobbles like this tend to even out given enough time.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Landlords and tenants alike rarely feel sudden shifts from this kind of news.
- ▶Mortgage deals could edge around if lenders read the wider mood.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.