Max Verstappen Wins 2026 Bahrain GP in Malaysia, Antonelli Second as Hamilton Takes Ferrari Podium

Sepang, Malaysia, October 4, 2026: Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, surviving a rain-delayed start, changing track conditions and a late Safety Car period to claim his first win of the season.

The Red Bull driver led Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 2.307 seconds after 55 laps at the Sepang International Circuit, while Lewis Hamilton completed a remarkable recovery drive to finish third for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc was fourth, ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar.

The victory was particularly significant for Red Bull, marking its first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season and the maiden victory for Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

Antonelli’s second-place finish further strengthened his championship lead, while George Russell suffered a major setback after his Mercedes stopped on the start/finish straight during the closing stages.

Rain Delays Bahrain GP Start

The race was initially delayed by a heavy downpour, with the scheduled start pushed back by 40 minutes. Conditions remained difficult around the 5.543-kilometre Sepang circuit, with several drivers struggling to generate tyre temperature during the formation lap.

Polesitter Verstappen and Hamilton were among those to experience problems, with throttle inputs proving ineffective for some cars. Race Control subsequently suspended the start procedure.

A further 53-minute delay followed before the field was finally released. Nine drivers elected to start on Intermediate tyres, while the remainder gambled on slicks despite the damp track.

Verstappen, Antonelli, Russell and Hadjar were among those starting on Intermediates, while Hamilton, Leclerc, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri opted for slick tyres.

Pierre Gasly suffered an early scare after spinning behind the Safety Car on the opening lap, although the Alpine driver managed to recover and return to the grid.

The start procedure was finally completed at the end of Lap 2, setting up a standing start.

Mercedes Makes a Lightning Start

When the lights finally went out, Antonelli and Russell made superb launches to sweep past Verstappen and establish a Mercedes one-two into Turn 1.

Verstappen held third ahead of a fast-starting Liam Lawson, while the different tyre strategies immediately began to influence the race.

The Ferraris and Norris initially struggled on slick tyres. Leclerc made contact with Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi, forcing the Ferrari driver to pit for a new front wing and switch to Intermediate tyres.

Hamilton remained committed to his initial strategy, along with Fernando Alonso, Oliver Bearman and Valtteri Bottas.

Verstappen began his recovery on Lap 6, overtaking Russell around the outside at Turn 4 to reclaim second place.

Lawson subsequently lost fourth position to Hadjar at the final corner as the Red Bull drivers began to apply pressure at the front.

By Lap 8, Verstappen had closed right up to Antonelli. The Mercedes driver ran wide at the final corner but managed to retain the lead.

Safety Car Changes the Race

The leading trio remained closely matched until Lap 9, when Bottas lost control through Turn 13 and became stranded in the gravel.

The incident triggered a Safety Car period and provided the intermediate-tyre runners with an ideal opportunity to switch to slick tyres as the circuit continued to dry.

Verstappen, Antonelli, Russell and Hadjar all pitted, while the drivers who had started on slicks were able to recover some of the time lost during the opening phase.

Mercedes opted for Medium tyres, while Red Bull fitted Softs to Verstappen and Hadjar.

Antonelli remained ahead when the race resumed, followed by Verstappen and Russell, but the Red Bull driver immediately demonstrated the advantage of his Soft tyres.

Verstappen swept around the outside of Antonelli into Turn 1 to take the lead.

Russell then overtook his Mercedes team-mate at Turn 5, relegating Antonelli to third.

Verstappen quickly opened a gap of more than three seconds at the front, while Antonelli began working his way back towards Russell.

Antonelli Regains Second

After several laps behind Russell, Antonelli completed his recovery on Lap 21, passing his team-mate at Turn 4 to retake second place.

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s race was developing into one of the standout recovery drives of the afternoon.

After dropping towards the rear of the field during the early stages, the Ferrari driver climbed to fifth by Lap 22, overtaking several rivals in quick succession.

Leclerc also recovered strongly, breaking into the top 10 one lap later.

Antonelli’s challenge was briefly compromised on Lap 24 when he ran wide at the final corner and struck the pit-entry bollard. The mistake cost him valuable time and allowed Verstappen to increase his advantage to 7.5 seconds.

Verstappen Controls the Second Pit-Stop Phase

The leaders began making their second pit stops from Lap 29.

Russell stopped on Lap 32 to switch to Soft tyres, although the Mercedes driver later questioned whether the stop had been made too early.

Antonelli pitted one lap later in response to the undercut threat, with Verstappen following shortly afterwards.

The Red Bull driver retained a comfortable advantage of approximately 11 seconds over the Mercedes.

Hamilton continued to gain ground and was increasingly threatening the podium positions, while Hadjar came under pressure behind the leading group.

Virtual Safety Car Brings More Drama

The race entered another crucial phase on Lap 41 when Alexander Albon stopped with a gearbox problem, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.

Verstappen used the reduced-speed conditions to make another pit stop, temporarily handing the lead to Antonelli.

Both Ferraris also stopped, while Mercedes brought both cars in on the following lap.

The Virtual Safety Car was then replaced by a full Safety Car, compressing the field and giving the drivers one final opportunity to fight for position.

Verstappen returned to the front ahead of Antonelli and Russell, with Hadjar fourth and Hamilton fifth.

Leclerc, Piastri, Norris, Lawson and Alonso completed the top 10.

Hamilton Completes Stunning Recovery

The final restart produced a short but intense run to the chequered flag.

Norris suffered a costly moment while running behind the Safety Car, losing control of his McLaren and running through the gravel.

Once racing resumed, Verstappen immediately established control at the front.

Hamilton and Leclerc then completed their recovery drives by passing Hadjar to move into third and fourth respectively.

Hadjar slipped to fifth, ahead of Piastri and Lawson, while Alonso moved into eighth for Aston Martin.

Norris recovered to ninth, with rookie Arvid Lindblad claiming the final championship point in 10th.

Russell Retires as Verstappen Seals First Win

The closing stages delivered another major twist in the championship battle.

After 49 laps, Russell’s Mercedes ground to a halt on the start/finish straight, bringing his race to an end and costing him a significant opportunity to reduce Antonelli’s championship advantage.

At the front, Verstappen remained in complete control.

The Red Bull driver crossed the finish line 2.307 seconds ahead of Antonelli to claim his first victory of 2026.

Hamilton finished just 4.919 seconds behind the winner to secure third, with Leclerc a further 2.339 seconds behind in fourth.

For Verstappen, it was a crucial victory in the championship battle and a landmark result for Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia – Complete Race Results

Pos.	Driver	Team	Laps	Gap/Status
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull/Red Bull Ford	55	—
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	55	+2.307s
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	55	+4.919s
4	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	55	+7.258s
5	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull/Red Bull Ford	55	+8.571s
6	Oscar Piastri	McLaren/Mercedes	55	+9.454s
7	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford	55	+12.753s
8	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin/Honda	55	+13.372s
9	Lando Norris	McLaren/Mercedes	55	+13.993s
10	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford	55	+15.928s
11	Nico Hülkenberg	Audi	55	+17.404s
12	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin/Honda	55	+18.052s
13	Franco Colapinto	Alpine/Mercedes	55	+18.997s
14	Oliver Bearman	Haas/Ferrari	55	+22.305s
15	Esteban Ocon	Haas/Ferrari	55	+22.532s
16	Pierre Gasly	Alpine/Mercedes	55	+23.315s
17	Carlos Sainz	Williams/Mercedes	55	+25.431s
18	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	55	+28.233s
19	Sergio Pérez	Cadillac/Ferrari	55	+29.310s
20	George Russell	Mercedes	49	DNF
21	Alexander Albon	Williams/Mercedes	41	DNF
22	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac/Ferrari	7	DNF

Antonelli Extends Championship Lead

The result gives Antonelli another important haul of points in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship, while Russell’s retirement significantly limits his ability to respond.

For Verstappen and Red Bull, meanwhile, the result represents a major momentum shift. After failing to win earlier in the season, the reigning champion has now converted pole into victory in one of the most strategically complicated races of the campaign.

The 2026 Formula 1 championship battle now moves forward with Verstappen, Antonelli and Russell separated by a rapidly changing points picture, while Ferrari’s double top-four finish provides further encouragement after Hamilton’s impressive recovery to the podium.