Max Verstappen Wins Chaotic Bahrain GP at Sepang as Antonelli Extends F1 Title Lead

SEPANG, MALAYSIA, 4 October 2026 – Max Verstappen finally has his first Formula 1 victory of the 2026 season, but it came in anything but ordinary fashion.

Formula 1’s unexpected return to the Sepang International Circuit produced a race filled with torrential rain, delayed starts, software problems, tyre gambles, Safety Cars and dramatic late-race retirements, with Verstappen ultimately emerging on top to take Red Bull’s first win of the campaign.

Behind him, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli secured second place to further strengthen his position at the top of the drivers’ championship, while Lewis Hamilton completed a remarkable recovery to finish third for Ferrari.

George Russell, meanwhile, suffered one of the biggest blows of his championship campaign after a late power-unit failure forced him to retire from third place with just five laps remaining.

A race that almost didn’t get started

The drama began long before the lights went out.

Heavy tropical rain swept across Sepang shortly before the scheduled start, leaving sections of the circuit covered in standing water. Race Control delayed proceedings by around 40 minutes while the Safety Car assessed the conditions.

When the cars eventually headed out, another problem emerged.

Several drivers began reporting power and throttle issues during the formation procedure, with Verstappen and Hamilton among those affected. Hamilton was even forced to stop on track before eventually getting his Ferrari moving again.

With multiple cars experiencing problems and the field circulating at unusually low speeds, officials suspended the start procedure.

The delay added another significant chunk of time to an already extraordinary afternoon at Sepang.

When the second formation procedure finally got underway, the track had dried considerably, creating a crucial strategic question: intermediates or slick tyres?

The tyre gamble splits the field

Verstappen and both Mercedes drivers opted for intermediate tyres, while several major names, including Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, gambled on slicks.

It was a decision that immediately shaped the race.

The slick-shod cars struggled for grip in the still-damp conditions, with Hamilton falling dramatically down the order while Verstappen remained among the front runners.

When the race finally started properly, Antonelli and Russell made the better launch from the second row and jumped Verstappen heading into Turn 1.

For a moment, Mercedes appeared to have seized control.

But Verstappen quickly demonstrated why he remained the driver to beat.

He passed Russell on the opening laps and continued closing on Antonelli before a spinning Valtteri Bottas triggered the first Safety Car.

That neutralisation provided the perfect opportunity for the intermediate runners to switch to slick tyres.

Verstappen takes control

Once the field went racing again, Verstappen wasted little time.

He attacked Antonelli into the opening corners and completed the move through Turns 1 and 2, before Russell also moved past his teammate shortly afterwards.

Antonelli eventually reclaimed second from Russell, but Verstappen had already begun pulling away.

The Red Bull driver produced a series of rapid laps, gradually extending his advantage to several seconds.

By the middle stages, the battle for victory had effectively become a fight against Verstappen’s pace rather than between the leading drivers themselves.

Behind them, however, the race was becoming increasingly entertaining.

Hamilton turns disaster into a podium

Hamilton’s afternoon initially appeared to be heading towards disaster.

The Ferrari driver had dropped as low as 18th after Ferrari’s slick-tyre gamble failed to pay off.

Instead of abandoning the strategy immediately, Hamilton and Ferrari decided to stay committed.

As the circuit dried, the gamble began to work.

Hamilton picked off cars one after another, moving through the midfield at an extraordinary pace. By the closing stages, the seven-time world champion had transformed a seemingly lost race into a genuine podium challenge.

After the final restart, Hamilton finally caught Isack Hadjar and completed the move into Turn 1 to take third.

Charles Leclerc then followed his teammate past the Red Bull, securing fourth and completing a remarkable Ferrari recovery.

Late Safety Car changes the atmosphere

Just when Verstappen appeared to have the race completely under control, another interruption arrived.

Alex Albon’s Williams stopped on track, triggering a Virtual Safety Car before a full Safety Car was eventually deployed.

The field closed up, reducing Verstappen’s comfortable advantage and giving Antonelli a final opportunity to challenge for victory.

But the restart produced an even bigger championship storyline.

Russell, running third for Mercedes, suffered a suspected power-unit failure and ground to a halt near the start-finish area.

His retirement handed Antonelli a huge championship advantage.

With just seven rounds remaining, Russell’s title hopes have taken another major hit.

Norris suffers late drama

Lando Norris also endured a difficult final phase.

Running behind teammate Oscar Piastri, the McLaren driver misjudged his braking during the Safety Car period and ran through the gravel.

He managed to continue, but the mistake dropped him down the order and left him with ninth place.

Piastri, meanwhile, recovered to sixth after McLaren’s own early slick-tyre gamble complicated his afternoon.

Verstappen finally gets his 2026 breakthrough

Once racing resumed for the final laps, Verstappen remained composed.

Antonelli could not find a way to challenge, while Hamilton and Leclerc completed Ferrari’s remarkable recovery behind him.

Verstappen crossed the finish line to secure his first victory of 2026 and Red Bull’s first win of the season.

More importantly, it was another reminder of the Dutchman’s ability to thrive when races become unpredictable.

“It was very hectic with a lot of different things at the start,” Verstappen said after the race. “We made the right call with the intermediates, and after that, step by step, we moved our way forward.”

The victory also gives Red Bull valuable momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.

Antonelli strengthens championship position

While Verstappen took the headlines, Antonelli may have been the biggest winner in the championship battle.

His second-place finish combined with Russell’s late retirement means Antonelli’s advantage has grown to 84 points with seven races remaining.

The champiozznship standings now see Antonelli on 320 points, followed by Russell on 236.

Hamilton sits third on 214, with Leclerc fourth on 191. Norris and Verstappen are tied on 188 points.

Mercedes also continues to lead the constructors’ championship comfortably, with 556 points, ahead of Ferrari on 405.

Bahrain GP result – Top 10

Pos.	Driver	Team
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari
4	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari
5	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull
6	Oscar Piastri	McLaren
7	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls
8	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin
9	Lando Norris	McLaren
10	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls

Sepang proves it still has the magic

For Malaysian fans, however, the result was about more than Verstappen’s victory.

Formula 1’s return to Sepang delivered exactly the kind of unpredictable racing that made the circuit so popular during its previous stint on the calendar.

The combination of Sepang’s challenging layout and Malaysia’s notoriously unpredictable tropical weather created a race that could not have been scripted.

And with discussions reportedly underway about bringing the Malaysian Grand Prix back as a permanent fixture, this extraordinary one-off appearance may have given the country an even stronger argument.

For now, Verstappen leaves Malaysia with the trophy, Antonelli leaves with a much healthier championship lead, while Russell leaves wondering what might have been.

And Sepang?

It may have just reminded Formula 1 why it was missed in the first place.