Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula 1 victory of the 2026 season on Sunday, winning a rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix that was unusually held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.
The Dutchman started from pole but immediately faced pressure from Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell after losing positions at the opening corner. Verstappen recovered as the race progressed, eventually retaking the lead and holding off Antonelli to finish 2.307 seconds ahead after 55 laps.
Antonelli finished second for Mercedes, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third. Charles Leclerc took fourth, followed by Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar in fifth.
The race was heavily disrupted by weather. Heavy rain delayed the start by more than 90 minutes, and the wet conditions created further complications during the formation lap, forcing officials to suspend the starting procedure. It was the first wet race of the 2026 season.
When racing finally began, drivers faced a slippery circuit and rapidly changing conditions. Teams had to balance the use of intermediate tyres with the possibility of switching back to slick tyres as parts of the track dried.
Verstappen initially struggled off the line and dropped behind both Mercedes cars, but he gradually regained ground. He eventually moved past Russell and then Antonelli during an intense battle after a Safety Car restart.
The Safety Car played a significant role in the race, with changing conditions and incidents repeatedly affecting the running order. The difficult surface also produced several mistakes as drivers searched for grip around the fast Sepang circuit.
Russell had been running third and appeared set for a podium finish before his Mercedes suffered a suspected power-unit problem with only five laps remaining. He pulled off the circuit, handing Hamilton the final podium position and allowing Antonelli to increase his championship advantage.
Antonelli’s second-place finish moved his championship lead over Russell to 84 points. The Mercedes driver therefore emerged from the unusual Malaysian race with an increased advantage despite not taking the victory.
For Verstappen and Red Bull, the result marked a significant return to the top of the podium. It was not only Verstappen’s first win of the year but also Red Bull’s first victory of the 2026 season and the maiden Formula 1 victory for Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
The victory also carried a connection to Sepang. Verstappen had previously won the last Malaysian Grand Prix held at the circuit in 2017, meaning his latest victory gives him another win at a track where Formula 1 had not raced since then.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was moved to Malaysia because of the conflict in the Middle East, creating the unusual situation of a race carrying Bahrain’s name being held more than 6,000 kilometres away at Sepang.
The event also exposed technical challenges linked to Formula 1’s new generation of cars. Several drivers experienced apparent software-related problems during the formation lap, prompting the FIA to launch an investigation into the issue following the race.
With Verstappen finally securing his first victory of the season and Antonelli extending his championship advantage, the Sepang race reshaped the immediate championship picture while highlighting the unpredictable effects of rain, tyre strategy and reliability in the 2026 Formula 1 season.
