Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang on 4 October. It is Red Bull's first win of the 2026 season, with Kimi Antonelli second and Lewis Hamilton third. George Russell, running in the leading group, stopped late with a power-unit problem, stretching Antonelli's championship lead to 84 points.
Official top five
According to the formula1.com results, Verstappen took the flag in 1:47:14.808, with Antonelli +2.307s and Hamilton +4.919s behind. Charles Leclerc was fourth (+7.258s) and Isack Hadjar fifth (+8.571s). Oscar Piastri was reported sixth.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:47:14.808 | 25 |
| 2 | Antonelli | Mercedes | +2.307s | 18 |
| 3 | Hamilton | Ferrari | +4.919s | 15 |
| 4 | Leclerc | Ferrari | +7.258s | 12 |
| 5 | Hadjar | Red Bull | +8.571s | 10 |
Rain delay and the slicks gamble
Heavy rain pushed back the start, and the first formation lap was suspended when several drivers had power problems. According to formula1.com, Verstappen himself reported over the radio that he could not accelerate, and a red flag followed. Sources differ on the length of the delay: formula1.com says 40 minutes, RacingNews365 says 93 minutes, and Crash.net reported a postponement of more than an hour and 40 minutes.
Ferrari gambled on slick tyres on the wet track, and Hamilton and Leclerc dropped down the order. Sky Sports said Hamilton fell as low as 18th early on. As the track dried, intermediate runners switched to slicks under the safety car triggered by Valtteri Bottas's spin on lap 8, and Hamilton and Leclerc then fought back to third and fourth.
Russell out, title picture
Antonelli led early, but according to Crash.net Verstappen passed him on lap 13. Verstappen pitted under the virtual safety car on lap 43, briefly dropping to second before regaining the lead when Antonelli pitted too. Russell's Mercedes stopped behind the final safety car, with a power-unit problem reported as the cause. Sources disagree on when: the formula1.com report says lap 45, while the results page lists 49 laps completed.
Antonelli's lead over Russell is now 84 points with seven races left (Crash.net, Sky Sports). That is 18 more than the 66 he held after Baku. GrandPrix.com wrote that this was Verstappen's 72nd career win, equalling Michael Schumacher's win total with Ferrari.
Elsewhere, formula1.com reported that Alex Albon stopped to bring out the final safety car, Gabriel Bortoleto took a 10-second penalty for hitting Carlos Sainz, and Lando Norris slid through the gravel behind the safety car. RacingNews365 reported that Toto Wolff said the power-unit software problems cannot continue. Formula 1 now heads to Singapore for the season's final sprint weekend (Sky Sports).
Distance figures differ as well: the official results list 55 laps, Crash.net says 57. Only the official classification is treated as confirmed here.
Sources
- formula1.com: Verstappen wins rain-hit Bahrain GP in Malaysia over Antonelli as Russell retires late on
- formula1.com: 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia race result
- Crash.net: Max Verstappen wins bonkers Bahrain GP in Malaysia
- Sky Sports F1: Verstappen wins first race of 2026 in wild, rain-hit Grand Prix
- GrandPrix.com: Race Notes - Verstappen wins as Hamilton recovers to the podium
- RacingNews365: 2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia results