Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) a été le plus rapide de la première séance d’essais libres en Malaisie. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) est 2e. Les Ferrari suivent. Fernando Alonso (McLaren) a devancé les Red Bull avec le 5e temps.
| Pos | Pilote | Temps | Écart | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:35.227 | 25 | ||
| 2 | 1:35.721 | +0.494s | 25 | |
| 3 | 1:36.315 | +1.088s | 16 | |
| 4 | 1:36.331 | +1.104s | 18 | |
| 5 | 1:36.510 | +1.283s | 18 | |
| 6 | 1:36.753 | +1.526s | 27 | |
| 7 | 1:36.973 | +1.746s | 26 | |
| 8 | 1:37.513 | +2.286s | 26 | |
| 9 | 1:37.601 | +2.374s | 27 | |
| 10 | 1:37.613 | +2.386s | 20 | |
| 11 | 1:37.847 | +2.620s | 29 | |
| 12 | 1:37.861 | +2.634s | 17 | |
| 13 | 1:37.886 | +2.659s | 22 | |
| 14 | 1:37.921 | +2.694s | 20 | |
| 15 | 1:38.055 | +2.828s | 25 | |
| 16 | 1:38.184 | +2.957s | 18 | |
| 17 | 1:38.313 | +3.086s | 20 | |
| 18 | 1:38.339 | +3.112s | 24 | |
| 19 | 1:39.148 | +3.921s | 23 | |
| 20 | 1:40.036 | +4.809s | 28 | |
| 21 | 1:40.627 | +5.400s | 26 | |
| 22 | 2 |