Formula 1 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia Review
Verstappen Claims Victory in Rain-Hit Sepang
Max Verstappen secured his and Red Bull’s first victory of the 2026 season in a dramatic, rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, converting pole position into a commanding win at the Sepang International Circuit. The Dutchman navigated treacherous conditions, a chaotic start, and multiple Safety Car periods to claim a breakthrough victory that ends Red Bull’s win drought.
Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead with second place, while Lewis Hamilton completed a remarkable recovery drive from the back of the grid to finish third for Ferrari. The race dealt another blow to George Russell’s title hopes, the Briton grinding to a halt late on while running in the points.
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Grand Prix Race – Verstappen Masters Sepang Chaos for First Win of 2026
Pre-Race Conditions
In the hour before lights out, a huge rain shower and thunderstorm soaked the Sepang International Circuit, adding a completely different dimension to the race. Race Control confirmed a delay as the rain poured down, with teams sheltering their cars on the grid with gazebos.
An exploratory lap by the Medical Car highlighted just how tricky conditions had become, reporting significant standing water. At around 1510 local time, the rain eased slightly, bringing cheers from the grandstands. By 1525, the FIA reported that only a couple of corners were still an issue, thanks to lighter rainfall and marshals sweeping the track.
A few minutes later, it was announced that the formation lap would take place at 1540. Some 40 minutes later than planned, the 22-strong field moved away from their grid slots on intermediate tyres.
Chaotic Start and Red Flag
There was drama almost immediately when Hadjar lost control of his Red Bull exiting Turn 2 and took a trip through the gravel. Verstappen and Hamilton then appeared to encounter power issues. “I can’t accelerate! It’s not working, guys,” said Verstappen. Hamilton reported: “I’m pressing the throttle and nothing’s happening!”
Hamilton ground to a halt on the start/finish straight, eventually getting going again but massively out of position. With more cars encountering problems, Race Control suspended the starting procedure and threw a red flag.
Second Start: Antonelli and Russell Charge
The second attempt was scheduled for 1633, with the original grid order in play. Verstappen started from P1, with Hamilton alongside, Antonelli third, Leclerc fourth, and the McLarens on row three.
Plenty of drivers chose intermediates, but Hamilton, Leclerc, Gasly, Bortoleto, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Bottas, Perez, and Colapinto went for softs, while Norris, Piastri, Alonso, and Stroll bolted on mediums.
When the lights went out, Antonelli and Russell charged off the line to take P1 and P2 for Mercedes, while Lawson surged to third. Hadjar was up to fifth, with Hamilton and Leclerc pushed out of the top 10 on their slick tyres.
Safety Car and Intermediate Switch
At the end of Lap 8, Antonelli drifted wide at the final corner, opening the door for Verstappen. Just as the Dutchman looked for a way past, slick-shod Bottas spun off the track, triggering a Safety Car – bringing the intermediate runners into the pits for a switch to slick tyres.
Mercedes pulled off a perfect stop under pressure to keep Antonelli ahead of Verstappen, while Russell maintained position over Hadjar. After a few laps behind the Safety Car, the race resumed.
Verstappen Takes the Lead
On Lap 13, Verstappen launched a bold move around the outside of Turn 1, completing it at the exit of Turn 2 to take the lead. Russell brilliantly took advantage of the squabbling to snatch P2 from Antonelli through Turn 5.
Verstappen pumped in a series of fastest laps, his gap over Russell above three seconds by Lap 19. On Lap 21, Antonelli reclaimed P2 from Russell with a smart move into Turn 4, but Verstappen was now some five seconds up the road.
Hamilton continued his comeback with moves on Lindblad, Ocon, and Lawson, putting him fifth. Piastri was ninth, with Leclerc now 10th and Norris 11th.
Late Safety Car and Russell’s Heartbreak
On Lap 43, a Virtual Safety Car was deployed due to Albon stopping out on track, prompting extra pit stops from Verstappen and Hamilton. A full Safety Car was then deployed, prompting stops from Norris, Lawson, Alonso, and Hulkenberg.
Disaster struck for Russell as the field circulated behind the Safety Car – the Briton grinding to a halt just before Turn 1 and dropping out of the race. “Ahhh!” Russell shouted over the radio, his outside chance of fighting for the title taking a huge hit.
Meanwhile, with cars bunching up, Norris came close to slamming into the back of teammate Piastri’s car under braking for the first corner. He took to the run-off at speed, slid through the gravel, and rejoined down in 11th.
Ferrari’s Remarkable Recovery
When the race resumed, Verstappen nailed his restart to maintain P1. Hamilton sent the crowd wild by passing Hadjar into Turn 1 for third, capping off an impressive rise from the back of the grid. Leclerc followed suit at the start of the next tour, turning an initially dire race for Ferrari into something much more positive.
Verstappen controlled the final few kilometres to take the chequered flag a couple of seconds up on Antonelli, with Hamilton, Leclerc, and Hadjar also maintaining formation, Piastri taking sixth, Lawson seventh and Alonso eighth.
Grand Prix Race Full Classification
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 55 | 1:47:14.808 | 25 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 55 | +2.307s | 18 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 55 | +4.919s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 55 | +7.258s | 12 |
| 5 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 55 | +8.571s | 10 |
| 6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 55 | +9.454s | 8 |
| 7 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 55 | +12.753s | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 55 | +13.372s | 4 |
| 9 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 55 | +13.993s | 2 |
| 10 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 55 | +15.928s | 1 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 55 | +17.404s | 0 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 55 | +18.052s | 0 |
| 13 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 55 | +18.997s | 0 |
| 14 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 55 | +22.305s | 0 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 55 | +22.532s | 0 |
| 16 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 55 | +23.315s | 0 |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 55 | +25.431s | 0 |
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 55 | +28.233s¹ | 0 |
| 19 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 55 | +29.310s | 0 |
| 20 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 7 | DNF | 0 |
¹ Bortoleto received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Sainz.
Grand Prix Qualifying – Verstappen Seizes First Pole of the Season
Max Verstappen made a long-awaited return to the top of the timesheets in Qualifying, beating Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar to take his first pole position of 2026. The Red Bull driver topped every segment at the Sepang International Circuit, ultimately opening up an advantage of 0.298 seconds over Hamilton with a time of 1:35.130.
Q1 – Verstappen Fastest as Both Aston Martins Progress
Each hour of practice had seen a different team top the times – Red Bull with Verstappen in FP1, Ferrari with Leclerc in FP2, and Mercedes with Antonelli in FP3 – so the battle for pole looked wide open. Malaysia hadn’t hosted a Qualifying session since 2017, adding an element of unpredictability to proceedings at the 5.543km circuit.
With track temperatures soaring and tyre degradation expected to be severe, managing the soft compound over a single flying lap would be crucial. The session began slowly, with Haas the first to send their drivers out. Once the field filled the circuit, Antonelli set the early benchmark with 1:37.041, but Verstappen soon went half a second clear, with Hadjar slotting into P2.
The medium compound proved surprisingly competitive for Ferrari as Hamilton and Leclerc moved into second and third respectively, while both Aston Martins showed encouraging pace. Stroll executed a great lap to improve to P11, while Bortoleto caught the eye with a P8-worthy time including the fastest first sector of the session. Hulkenberg missed out by just 0.087s, while Ocon expressed concerns that Haas sent their drivers out too early.
Knocked out: Hulkenberg, Bearman, Ocon, Albon, Bottas, Perez
Q2 – Verstappen Quickest Again as Lawson Misses Out
Getting two quick laps on the board was the priority, and Red Bull once again shot to the top as Verstappen posted a 1:35.696, becoming the first driver to break the 1m 36s barrier. Leclerc was the next to achieve that feat, albeit two tenths down on the Dutchman.
Antonelli’s time was deleted for exceeding track limits, putting him on the back foot. He came straight back out on new soft tyres, giving him limited fresh sets for Q3, but produced a cautious yet effective lap to slot into P2 behind Verstappen.
Lindblad, already set for a back-row start due to a power unit change, sacrificed his own session to give teammate Lawson a tow. The strategy nearly worked, but another fantastic effort from Bortoleto demoted Lawson to P11, with just 0.209s separating them. Alonso, Sainz, and Stroll also progressed no further, while Colapinto and Lindblad chose not to set representative times due to their own grid penalties.
Knocked out: Lawson, Alonso, Sainz, Stroll, Colapinto, Lindblad
Q3 – Verstappen Storms to First Pole of 2026
In the top-10 shootout, Russell could only manage a 1:36.032, rapidly eclipsed by Hadjar before Hamilton and Leclerc moved into second and third. Verstappen delivered another stellar lap to earn provisional pole by three-tenths over his teammate.
Antonelli waited until everyone else’s first runs concluded to challenge for pole, but even the championship leader couldn’t get close, his lap only enough for P3. The Dutchman went again and cut his time to 1:35.130, solidifying his P1 start as Hamilton delivered his best lap of the weekend to secure a place on the front row.
Hadjar dropped to third, which would become eighth once his grid penalty was imposed. Leclerc was fifth ahead of the McLaren duo of Norris and Piastri, leaving Russell scratching his head at his significant deficit in P8. Gasly and Bortoleto rounded out the top 10.
Grand Prix Qualifying Top 10 Classification
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:36.477 | 1:35.696 | 1:35.130 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:36.595 | 1:36.032 | 1:35.428 |
| 3 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:36.898 | 1:36.192 | 1:35.558 |
| 4 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:37.041 | 1:35.959 | 1:35.631 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:36.730 | 1:35.970 | 1:35.666 |
| 6 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:37.092 | 1:36.173 | 1:35.757 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:36.852 | 1:36.020 | 1:35.762 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:37.264 | 1:36.245 | 1:35.871 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:37.174 | 1:36.410 | 1:37.210 |
| 10 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:37.106 | 1:36.814 | 1:37.673 |
Key Takeaways from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia Weekend
1. Verstappen’s Breakthrough – After a difficult season, Red Bull’s first pole and first win of 2026 marks a significant turning point. Verstappen’s masterful navigation of the treacherous conditions in Sepang – from the aborted start to the intermediate-to-slick crossover – demonstrated why he remains one of the sport’s elite. His 0.298s pole margin was the largest of his season.
2. Antonelli Extends Championship Lead – Second place, combined with Russell’s retirement, sees the Italian’s lead grow to 84 points with seven rounds remaining. The 19-year-old’s championship composure continues to impress, even on days when he doesn’t have the fastest car.
3. Ferrari’s Remarkable Recovery – Hamilton and Leclerc started on slick tyres and dropped to the back of the field, but inspired comeback drives saw them recover to third and fourth. Hamilton’s pass on Hadjar for the final podium spot was a vintage performance, while Leclerc’s recovery from a damaged front wing (following contact with Hulkenberg at the start) was equally impressive.
4. Russell’s Title Hopes Dented – The Briton’s late retirement, just as he looked set to limit the damage to his championship deficit, is a devastating blow. His Mercedes ground to a halt on the start/finish straight behind the final Safety Car, leaving him with zero points and an 84-point gap to his teammate.
5. Chaos at the Start – Two aborted starts, power issues for Verstappen and Hamilton, and Hadjar’s off-track excursion made for one of the most chaotic race openings in recent memory. The initial formation lap saw multiple drivers struggle to maintain speed, forcing Race Control to suspend the procedure entirely.
6. Alonso’s Morale-Boosting Eighth – The Aston Martin driver’s first points in several races provides a much-needed boost for the struggling team, and his battle with Lawson in the closing laps was one of the highlights of the race.
7. Haas’s Double Points Finish Missed – Bearman’s 14th and Ocon’s 15th continued Haas’s improved form, but the American team will feel they could have achieved more after Ocon’s strong early running.
8. Bortoleto’s Penalty – The Audi driver’s 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Sainz, which tipped the Williams into a spin and dropped him from the top 10, was a significant blow to his race. The incident will be reviewed further by the stewards.
Championship Standings After Round 16
Drivers’ Championship
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes | 307 |
| 2 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 220 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Ferrari | 205 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 180 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing | 182 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren | 176 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren | 122 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Red Bull Racing | 93 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | NZL | Red Bull Racing | 62 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine | 49 |
| 11 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | Alpine | 27 |
| 12 | Arvid Lindblad | GBR | Racing Bulls | 36 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Haas F1 Team | 20 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Audi | 7 |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Williams | 7 |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams | 5 |
| 17 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Audi | 10 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Haas F1 Team | 7 |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 20 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Racing Bulls | 1 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Cadillac | 0 |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | MEX | Cadillac | 0 |
| 23 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin | 0 |
Constructors’ Championship
| Pos | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 527 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 385 |
| 3 | Red Bull Racing | 337 |
| 4 | McLaren | 298 |
| 5 | Alpine | 76 |
| 6 | Racing Bulls | 98 |
| 7 | Haas F1 Team | 27 |
| 8 | Audi | 17 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
Looking Ahead to the Singapore Grand Prix
The triple header concludes with the Singapore Grand Prix (October 9-11) at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Verstappen’s breakthrough victory has injected new life into the championship, though Antonelli’s 84-point lead remains commanding with seven rounds remaining. Russell will be desperate to bounce back, while Ferrari will look to build on their strong recovery drive.
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Sources
- Formula1.com – Verstappen seizes first pole position of the season
- Formula1.com – 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying Results
- Formula1.com – Verstappen wins rain-hit Bahrain GP in Malaysia
- Formula1.com – 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Results
For official classification and FIA documentation, please refer to the Formula 1 website.
