Max Verstappen Takes First 2026 Pole in Bahrain GP Qualifying at Sepang

Sepang, Malaysia, October 3, 2026: Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship with a commanding performance in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The Red Bull driver beat Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and team-mate Isack Hadjar to take the 49th pole position of his career.

Verstappen produced a final-lap time of 1:35.130, finishing 0.298 seconds ahead of Hamilton, who secured Ferrari a place on the front row. Hadjar was third fastest with a 1:35.558, but the Frenchman will serve a five-place grid penalty for an internal combustion engine change, dropping him to eighth on the starting grid.

The result marks Verstappen’s first pole since the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and continues his impressive weekend at Sepang. The Dutchman had topped all three practice sessions before carrying that form into qualifying.

Verstappen Sets the Pace in Q1

Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman were among the first drivers to take to the track when Q1 got underway, while Ferrari and Audi opted for Medium-compound tyres as they looked to preserve their Soft tyre allocation.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli initially set the pace with a 1:37.041 on Soft tyres, but Verstappen quickly moved to the top of the timing screens, going around half a second faster. Hadjar then moved into second behind his Red Bull team-mate.

Hamilton and Charles Leclerc subsequently demonstrated the competitiveness of the Medium compound by moving into the top three.

At the bottom of the order, Nico Hülkenberg was eliminated in 17th, ahead of Bearman. Ocon qualified 19th, while Williams driver Alexander Albon and the two Cadillacs of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez completed the bottom five.

Antonelli Survives Q2 After Lap Deletion

Verstappen raised the bar again in Q2, becoming the first driver to break the 1m36s barrier with a 1:35.696. Leclerc followed approximately two tenths behind.

Antonelli initially looked set to progress comfortably, but his first effort was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 6. The Mercedes driver was therefore forced to return to the circuit on a fresh set of Soft tyres.

His subsequent lap was good enough to secure his place in Q3, although the additional run left him with fewer new Soft tyres available for the final session.

Racing Bulls also faced a difficult Q2. Arvid Lindblad, already facing a back-row start because of a power unit penalty, provided a tow for team-mate Liam Lawson rather than setting a representative lap himself.

Lawson initially moved into the top 10, but Gabriel Bortoleto produced a late improvement to eliminate the New Zealander by just 0.209 seconds.

Lawson was eliminated alongside Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto and Lindblad.

Colapinto is facing a 15-place grid penalty for causing a collision in Baku and a further 10-place penalty for a power unit change. Lindblad will also start from the back following his penalty.

Verstappen Delivers When It Matters

George Russell was the first driver to set a competitive time in Q3, recording a 1:36.032. Hadjar quickly went faster before Hamilton and Leclerc moved into second and third respectively.

Verstappen then delivered a 1:35.250 to establish provisional pole, opening a 0.308-second advantage over Hadjar.

Oscar Piastri split the Ferrari drivers, while Lando Norris moved into sixth. Antonelli delayed his first and only Q3 attempt until the rest of the field had completed their opening runs.

The championship leader responded with a 1:35.631 to move into third provisionally, but still remained 0.381 seconds behind Verstappen.

Verstappen returned to the track for his final attempt but initially struggled to improve through the first two sectors. The Red Bull driver, however, produced a strong final sector and found another 0.120 seconds to lower his benchmark to 1:35.130.

Hamilton also improved on his final lap, stopping the clock at 1:35.428 to secure second and Ferrari’s place on the front row.

Hadjar was unable to improve and remained third fastest with a 1:35.558. His five-place penalty, however, means Antonelli will start from third.

Leclerc will start alongside Antonelli on the second row, while the McLaren drivers will occupy the third row. Norris edged Piastri by just 0.005 seconds, with the Mercedes of Russell completing the top eight after Hadjar’s penalty.

Pierre Gasly qualified ninth for Alpine, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.

With the various grid penalties applied, the qualifying order will undergo further changes before the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

2026 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix – Qualifying Results

Note: The qualifying classification above is the raw qualifying result. Grid penalties will be applied separately to determine the final starting order.