What we really learned from F1 2026's most confusing Friday

Formula 1 held its first practice sessions of the 2026 Malaysian Grand Prix weekend at Sepang on October 2, with Friday proving difficult to interpret due to extreme tyre degradation, intense heat, and a challenging track surface. Mercedes introduced its first major upgrade package to the W17 since the Canadian Grand Prix in May, but results were inconclusive as Kimi Antonelli's best soft-tyre run in FP2 was compromised by traffic and George Russell's by an off that sent him to the pitlane. Haas driver Ollie Bearman described the day as 'a step into the unknown for everybody,' with teams expecting an unpredictable and exciting race weekend ahead.