Max Verstappen clinched this Sunday his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season in a chaotic Sepang race. The Bahrain Grand Prix, held exceptionally in Malaysia, began with a one-and-a-half-hour delay after heavy rain and an electronic problem that affected several cars before the start.
When the race finally started, Kimi Antonelli briefly took the lead, but Verstappen regained the front and won for the first time since Abu Dhabi 2025. The Italian finished second and widened his World Championship lead to 84 points over George Russell, who retired with a sudden power-unit failure.
Lewis Hamilton completed the podium after a major comeback. Ferrari started on dry-weather tyres in still-challenging conditions, a decision that dropped Hamilton to the back of the field. The Briton fought back up to third, but felt that the call may have cost him a chance to challenge Verstappen for the win. Charles Leclerc finished fourth.
Gabriel Bortoleto also had a difficult Sunday. The Brazilian started tenth and even ran in the points, but collided with Carlos Sainz during a restart, damaged the front wing and received a 10-second penalty. Bortoleto took responsibility for the incident, apologized to the Spaniard and finished only 18th.
The chaos before the start also drew strong criticism. Lando Norris described the software problem that interrupted the procedure as “horrific,” while Verstappen said he hopes Formula 1 learns a lesson from the episode. Russell went further and said that, amid delays, red flags, laps behind the Safety Car and other procedures, Sunday did not feel very F1.
With the result, Antonelli leads the championship with 320 points, followed by Russell on 236 and Hamilton on 214. Leclerc has 191, while Norris and Verstappen are tied on 188. Among the constructors, Mercedes remains ahead with 556 points, ahead of Ferrari on 405, McLaren on 316 and Red Bull on 298.
