Pierre Gasly: "It's good to be back in Malaysia and it always brings nice memories back for me having made my debut at this track in 2017.

"Nine years later, we are back, and it is safe to say not much has changed with the track still enjoyable to drive and the conditions still very hot and very humid, which brings its challenges inside the car. I would say it's been a decent Friday for us where we are in the mix inside the top ten on the timesheets. The track was generally low grip, as expected, and it's clear that it's going to be tough on the tyres. Our car is in a good place, and we just built things up throughout the day, trying different ideas on both high and low fuel, as normal for a Friday with a few tweaks and improvements to make. We're well prepared and we're looking forward to taking on the rest of the weekend."

Franco Colapinto: "We had a specific plan for the day on my side of the garage, and executed it well, with our focus firmly on high fuel running and optimising race pace. With the grid penalties from Baku, and also changing some power unit components here, we know that we'll have to pass cars and try to make our way through the field on Sunday. So, it makes a lot of sense to get in the best possible shape for the race, as we know that even if we were to make it to Q3, we will be towards the back anyway. We tried a lot of things and different set-ups and the pace looked relatively competitive and comparable to others. It was nice coming to a new track also, which is a lot of fun to drive, even on high fuel. It will be a challenge for everyone with tyre degradation, with the heat and roughness of the asphalt. It's easy to overheat the tyres which should make the race interesting with possible different strategy options. This may also help given we'll be starting lower down the field, so an added variable could be beneficial."

Steve Nielsen: "Firstly, it's been a great job by a number of people to have this event prepared and ready. Personally, alongside many in the sport, I thoroughly enjoy being in Malaysia and racing at this amazing track.

"We ran very different programmes with both drivers today and, in the end, we are satisfied with the work we have been able to complete. Franco ran high fuel in both sessions with an eye on preparing for Sunday's race. He has taken new power unit components for this race which brings a 10-place grid penalty and adds to the 5-place penalty he received for last weekend's incident. We knew at some point we would have to take a penalty for power unit components, like some of our rivals, and we felt this track might be optimal for overtaking and allows more of an opportunity for Franco to work his way through the field, like we saw him do in Monza on his way to the points. He has done a good job today to collect data on high fuel and to help understand the tyres, which is important for Sunday. Pierre was on a more conventional Friday Practice programme and he's been, in general, happy with his day and how the car felt. The grip is particularly low here, the asphalt is also quite harsh, so it gives everyone an extra element to consider, not to mention the weather as we all keep an eye on the sky for potential rain at any given moment, such is the nature of racing in Sepang at this time of year."