Malaysian F1 Grand Prix 2016 Qualifying: Results, Times from Friday's Practice

Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton topped a practice session each on Friday ahead of the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix.  

Rosberg, who leads the championship from his team-mate by eight points after three successive wins, was fastest early in the day at Sepang, although Hamilton rediscovered his form in the second practice stint.

There was also a bizarre incident involving Renault’s Kevin Magnussen in first practice, as his car continually caught fire in the pit lane. The session was red-flagged as a result, although the driver was able to resume later in the day.

Here’s a snap of the incident posted by the man himself on social media:

Here’s a look back at the day’s action, as the drivers prepared for what will be a key weekend in the 2016 season. 

FP2 Recap

The Formula One Twitter feed provided the results from second practice, as Hamilton found his best form in Sepang:

After a disrupted FP1, the drivers would have been hoping for a much steadier stint in the afternoon, with most of the elite teams focusing on longer runs. 

Meanwhile Magnussen, after his eventful morning, would have been delighted to have got back on the circuit.

The Renault Twitter feed paid tribute to the efforts of the team to get the car in action again following the FP1 fire:

In the second stint, there were signs of Hamilton finding his trademark swagger again. On two different sets of tyres he found time on Rosberg, and while there was little difference between the two Silver Arrows on the long runs, you sensed the British driver was back in the groove again.

Mercedes, naturally, were quickest in the session, so much so that the team even had the time to simulate a potential stop-and-go penalty with Rosberg during the stint.

Sports statistician Sean Kelly offered some possible reasoning behind that decision:

On the long runs, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, third quickest, was able to keep pace with Rosberg and Hamilton for the most part, suggesting the Scuderia could well be a factor should they get off to a strong start.

Meanwhile, FP2 was another positive one for McLaren with their upgraded engine, with Fernando Alonso finishing seventh and Jenson Button, who took the time to try some qualifying simulation, in 10th.

FP1 Recap

Here’s a look at the standings from the first practice session, as Rosberg coasted to the summit of the standings, per the Formula One Twitter feed:

Given the momentum built up with three wins in his last three races, the German would not have wanted to give his team-mate Hamilton an inch in the early stages in Malaysia. And once again Rosberg seemed to have an edge over his rival.

Hamilton’s driving has been a little ropey in recent races, and an error on his second fast lap allowed Rosberg to take top spot in the session. Indeed, the world champion actually set his quickest time of the morning on the slower, medium-compound tyre.

As noted by the Pirelli Motorsport Twitter feed, Rosberg negotiated some testing conditions to finish top:

The session will be remembered for the moment Magnussen’s Renault was engulfed in flames, though. 

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

According to the team, there was a fuel leak from a pipe, with Renault looking to test out some new parts, per Andrew Benson of BBC Sport. It meant an early stoppage for the drivers.

The team Twitter feed confirmed Magnussen was safe and posted some footage of the cleanup:

"

Operation clean-up now underway in front of our garage as the session resumes. #FP1 #MalaysiaGP pic.twitter.com/HPFdg3EVsu

— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) September 30, 2016"

Back on track, Mercedes were the dominant force once again, with around one second separating the pace of them and the Ferraris, with Kimi Raikkonen taking third place.

Meanwhile, McLaren’s Alonso would have been encouraged by a fifth-place finish. The team used an upgraded engine in FP1 and finished ahead of the Red Bull duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, a 30-place grid penalty for changing engines will see him start at the back of the grid for Sunday’s race.