Sepang, Oct 5:
Max Verstappen finally opened his 2026 Formula One victory account with a hard-fought triumph at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday, while Kimi Antonelli strengthened his grip on the championship after Mercedes teammate George Russell retired late in the race.
Verstappen, starting from pole, endured a difficult opening as Antonelli and Russell moved ahead. The Red Bull driver gradually fought his way back and reclaimed the lead after a Safety Car restart, overtaking Antonelli in a close battle.
The race took another dramatic turn with five laps remaining. Verstappen was leading Antonelli and Russell under the Safety Car when Russell’s Mercedes slowed and came to a halt. Mercedes subsequently indicated that the car appeared to have suffered a power-unit problem.
Antonelli finished second, 2.307 seconds behind Verstappen, extending his championship advantage over Russell. Lewis Hamilton produced a strong recovery drive to finish third for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc fourth and Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar fifth.
The race was anything but straightforward. Heavy rain delayed the scheduled start by 40 minutes, while another stoppage followed when cars encountered apparent software problems on the formation lap. Once racing began, changing conditions and the Safety Car added to the strategic challenge.
The event was shifted to Sepang because of disruption caused by the Iran war, bringing Formula One back to Malaysia for the first time since 2017. Verstappen’s victory was also the first for Red Bull in 2026 and the maiden Formula One win for Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
For Antonelli, second place proved especially valuable. Russell’s retirement denied him the opportunity to close the gap in the championship, leaving the young Mercedes driver with an even stronger position as the title battle enters its next phase.