Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season after winning a chaotic, rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday.
The Red Bull driver converted pole position into victory at Sepang International Circuit, beating Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 2.307 seconds, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton completed the podium.
The race was delayed by heavy rain before technical problems during the formation lap created further confusion.
Verstappen eventually took control after the first Safety Car period and remained unchallenged for much of the race, giving Red Bull its first win of the season and Red Bull Ford Powertrains its maiden victory.
Antonelli’s second-place finish extended his championship lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who retired late in the race after his car stopped on the start-finish straight.
Russell’s retirement came with five laps remaining and further damaged his title hopes.
Hamilton recovers to finish third
Hamilton produced one of the drives of the race after an early tyre gamble left him near the back of the field.
The Ferrari driver started on the front row but opted for soft tyres despite the wet conditions. The decision cost him heavily in the opening laps as drivers on intermediate tyres moved ahead.
Hamilton fought his way back through the field as the track dried and eventually challenged Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar for fourth.
A late Safety Car gave him another opportunity to switch to fresh soft tyres.
After the restart, Hamilton passed Hadjar into Turn One to take third place.
ALSO READ: F1: Verstappen beats Hamilton to pole at Malaysian GP
Charles Leclerc also passed Hadjar in the closing stages to finish fourth, while Hadjar completed the top five.
Oscar Piastri finished sixth for McLaren, ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.
Fernando Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin, with Lando Norris ninth and rookie Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.
Chaotic start
The race had already been disrupted before the lights went out.
Heavy rain delayed the start, while several cars struggled during the formation lap in the difficult conditions.
The problems created confusion over the starting order before the FIA eventually allowed the race to restart with the cars in their original positions.
Once racing began, Antonelli and Russell made strong starts to move ahead of Verstappen.
The Dutchman quickly recovered, passing Russell before the first Safety Car period allowed the leading drivers to switch from intermediate tyres to slicks.
After the restart, Verstappen passed Antonelli and began to pull away.
A second late Safety Car briefly brought the field together, but Verstappen maintained his advantage after the restart to secure his first win of the season.
Russell suffers late retirement
Russell looked set for a strong finish before his Mercedes stopped with five laps remaining.
His retirement allowed Antonelli to consolidate second place and extend his advantage in the championship standings.
The result also gave Verstappen and Red Bull a major boost after a difficult start to the season.
Top 10
Max Verstappen – Red Bull
Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
Isack Hadjar – Red Bull
Oscar Piastri – McLaren
Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
Lando Norris – McLaren
Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls
The next race is the Singapore Grand Prix on 11 October.
