Max Verstappen won the rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit on Sunday, securing his and Red Bull Racing’s first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The race, originally scheduled for April 12 in Bahrain, was relocated to Malaysia due to security concerns in the Middle East and faced a 90-minute delay after heavy rain and thunderstorms swept the track.
Verstappen, starting from pole, initially lost the lead to Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in the wet conditions but reclaimed first place after a strategic switch to slick tires and a well-timed safety car period. Antonelli finished second, extending his drivers’ championship lead to 84 points over Russell, who retired with a suspected power unit failure five laps from the finish.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th place—after a misjudged early tire gamble—to claim third, passing Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in the final laps. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Hadjar, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in eighth.
The race marked the first wet-weather test for the 2026 cars, with additional chaos during the formation lap as software issues briefly stranded several drivers, including Verstappen, before the start. “It’s a really nice one after the year that we’ve had and the progression that we’ve made. So I’m incredibly proud of everyone,” Verstappen said post-race . Antonelli called his runner-up finish “the maximum we could have done” .
