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Vettel’s time of one minute 31.261, the fastest
ever around the 5.5-kilometre Sepang track, was set in the
second 90-minute session in the afternoon, which was brought to
an early halt after a loose drain cover caused a heavy crash for
Romain Grosjean.
Vettel had been fifth quickest in the rain-hit opening session.
The Ferrari driver’s championship-leading title rival Lewis
Hamilton was only sixth fastest in the afternoon, as he had been
in the first session, ahead of team mate Valtteri Bottas with
both Mercedes drivers reporting a general lack of grip.
Ferrari’s Friday display and Mercedes’ struggles will be
welcomed by Vettel who trails Hamilton by 28 points in the
overall standings with six races left.
A record four-times winner in Malaysia, Vettel desperately needs
a fifth victory after his title hopes were dealt a severe blow
at the last race in Singapore, where the German crashed out on
the opening lap to clear the way for Hamilton to win.
Daniel Ricciardo, who led a one-two with team mate Max
Verstappen in last year’s Malaysian race, ended the day third
fastest ahead of the Dutchman.
Verstappen, who turns 20 on Saturday, had ended Friday’s opening
session fastest ahead of the Australian.
Fernando Alonso, who vaulted up the order on a rapidly drying
track to end the first session third, was an impressive fifth
for McLaren. Sergio Perez in the Force India was eighth ahead of
Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and team mate Esteban Ocon who rounded
out the top 10.
Frenchman Pierre Gasly, making his Formula One debut this
weekend after being drafted in as a replacement for
under-performing Russian Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso, was 15th
fastest.
The 21-year-old, being evaluated as a permanent replacement for
Renault-bound Carlos Sainz for next season, outpaced the
Spaniard who was 16th.
Neither of Friday’s two sessions ran to their full 90-minute
length.
The morning session was delayed by half an hour due to a
tropical downpour that lashed the track minutes before its
scheduled start. Grosjean’s crash in the afternoon brought out
the red flags with 22 minutes of the session left.
The Frenchman hit the loose drain cover with his right rear
tyre, which exploded upon impact and pitched his Haas into the
barriers. The session was not restarted, with Formula One race
director Charlie Whiting driving out in the safety car to
inspect the damaged drain.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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