Sepang Tarmac Degradation Causes F1 Laps to Be 4.5 Seconds Slower Than Simulations

Formula 1's return to Malaysia at the 5.35km Sepang circuit encountered unexpected difficulties during Friday practice as the track surface began breaking up. McLaren's Oscar Piastri described the tarmac as "sandpaper," leading to high tyre degradation and prompting organizers to send out sweeper trucks to clear loose stones following FP2.

Pirelli's chief engineer Simone Berra revealed that single-lap runs on Friday were as much as 4.5 seconds slower than the tyre supplier's qualifying simulations had anticipated. Berra explained that low grip levels and rapid tarmac deterioration were responsible, though he emphasized that the issue does not present a safety concern or a risk of punctures.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who finished the day fastest, described the circuit as dirty and slippery. Malaysia is standing in for Sakhir as the venue for this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, sharing a similar level of tarmac roughness and wear with the event's usual home.

The high tyre degradation is expected to create strategy intrigue for teams trying to balance qualifying setup with long-run race pace. Berra noted that finding the optimal setup for the race could make it difficult to properly switch on the front tyres for qualifying, potentially leading to surprising differences in performance between qualifying and the race.