Verstappen wins Bahrain GP in Malaysia by 2.307s on Oct 4

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula One victory of the season at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit on Sunday, October 4, 2026, winning the Bahrain Grand Prix by 2.307 seconds from Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton completed the podium. 

Verstappen’s breakthrough also delivered the first victory for a Red Bull Ford power unit. “So I’m incredibly proud of everyone. It is super nice to win here,” the Dutch driver said after the race. 

Malaysia hosted the Bahrain event because of the conflict in the Middle East. The race brought Formula One back to Sepang for the first time since 2017, when Verstappen also won. 

Rain and software problems delay Sepang start

The Sepang race began more than 90 minutes behind schedule after heavy rain disrupted the planned 3pm Malaysian start. Attempts to get the field moving then exposed software problems affecting several cars, forcing officials to suspend the starting procedure and send drivers back to the pit lane. Teams installed changes before racing could begin. 

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), motorsport’s governing body, attributed the power losses to a combination of low engine speeds, poor grip, wet-weather energy settings and Sepang’s sector configuration.

The FIA said an update removed an energy-limit constraint in the affected sectors. The problem had escaped earlier testing, and the FIA announced a review with teams and power-unit manufacturers. 

Verstappen lost the lead at the start as Antonelli and George Russell moved ahead on intermediate tyres. The Red Bull driver recovered, passing both Mercedes cars during the opening phase and regaining first place after a safety-car interruption caused by Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas. The drying circuit allowed the leading runners to switch to slick tyres. 

Antonelli extends championship lead as Russell retires

Antonelli’s second place earned 18 points, while Russell scored none after a power-unit failure ended his race with five laps remaining. Russell had been running third, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed the cause of the retirement.

Antonelli now has 320 points against Russell’s 236, according to the FIA championship standings. The 84-point gap reverses Russell’s progress at the previous round, where his Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory reduced the deficit to 66 points. 

Russell acknowledged that a championship comeback was now “exceptionally unlikely”. Wolff also expressed frustration over Mercedes’ pace, alongside the lost points from Russell’s retirement. Mercedes nevertheless retained a 151-point constructors’ championship advantage over Ferrari, with 556 points to 405. 

Hamilton recovers from 18th to third

Hamilton fell from second on the grid to 18th after choosing slick tyres while Sepang remained too wet for them. Hamilton said his “heart just sank” when he realised the disadvantage, but stayed out and recovered as conditions improved. 

Hamilton passed Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in the closing stages to secure third. Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc also recovered from a difficult opening phase and overtook Hadjar to finish fourth, leaving the Red Bull driver fifth. 

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished sixth, followed by Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. McLaren’s Lando Norris took ninth, with Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad claiming the final point in 10th.

Norris received a reprimand after misjudging his closing speed behind the safety car and steering into the gravel to avoid cars ahead. Norris cited visibility problems caused by the low sun, but the stewards ruled that he should have maintained a safer gap. The stewards found no separate infringement involving an unsafe return to the track or overtaking under the safety car. 

Albon retires after gearbox failure

Thailand’s Alex Albon failed to finish for Williams after a promising start on intermediate tyres. Albon said the team’s initial tyre choice was correct, but a wait behind his team-mate during a pit stop and subsequent technical problems undermined his race. 

“We had a few issues throughout the race, including the brakes and a gearbox problem that ended our race,” Albon said in comments published by Formula 1. 

Albon faced no penalty over a separate pit-entry incident involving Piastri. In their published decision, the stewards accepted that Albon slowed to comply with the required timing limit. No contact occurred, and the stewards found that his actions did not constitute erratic or unnecessarily dangerous driving in the circumstances. 

Formula One’s next round is the Singapore Grand Prix, scheduled for October 9–11.