What happened: Leclerc set the quickest time in Friday's second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Red Bull stayed prominent through the session after running strongly across the opening day at Sepang.

Why it matters: The early pace picture matters because this relocated Bahrain weekend is being built session by session at a circuit teams do not usually use for this round. Red Bull had already led FP1 earlier Friday, so FP2 adds another front-running data point rather than settling the order.

What to watch: Final practice and qualifying will show whether Leclerc's one-lap speed holds once teams narrow their setups. Red Bull's race-run showing is the key marker to watch before the grid is set.