Verstappen makes fast start in Malaysia to outpace Russell

​Max Verstappen made an impressively fast start to Formula 1's return to the Sepang International Circuit to set the pace from George Russell in the first practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

With F1 cars back on the popular track on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur for the first time since 2017, Verstappen - the winner of that last race at Sepang - was quickly back in the groove in his Red Bull and set the pace on a 1:37.520 by three tenths of a second.