Verstappen Wins Rain-Delayed Sepang Grand Prix

Max Verstappen won the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, held at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit, securing his first victory of the 2026 season. The four-time champion had not won since the final race of the previous season, but Red Bull upgrades helped him become competitive again. After losing places at the start, Verstappen passed George Russell and then Kimi Antonelli following a safety-car restart to take the lead. Antonelli finished second and extended his advantage over Mercedes teammate and title rival Russell from 66 to 84 points, with seven races remaining. Russell retired with five laps to go while running behind Verstappen and Antonelli. Mercedes told Antonelli it appeared Russell had suffered a power-unit problem. The retirement significantly improved Antonelli’s championship position. The rain-affected race began more than 90 minutes late. Heavy rain caused the first delay, and apparent software problems during the formation lap led to another suspension. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton recovered from an early setback to finish third, ending the Italian team’s five-race run without a podium. Ferrari had gambled on starting Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on dry-weather tyres as the track dried, and Hamilton fell from second to near the back. Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Isack Hadjar. Oscar Piastri was sixth for McLaren, followed by Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris and Arvid Lindblad. The event was relocated because of the Iran war, making it Formula 1’s first race at Sepang since 2017. The championship now moves to Singapore for the next race on October 11.

Max Verstappen won the rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, securing his first Formula One victory of the 2026 season. The race began an hour and 40 minutes late because of heavy rain. Verstappen started from pole after leading practice and qualifying, but a slow getaway on intermediate tyres let Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell pass him in the early wet conditions. A safety car was deployed on lap nine after Valtteri Bottas spun into the gravel. As the track dried, most drivers switched to slick tyres. Verstappen overtook Antonelli and Russell when the safety car period ended, then built a comfortable lead and held it to the finish. Antonelli, the championship leader, finished second, while Lewis Hamilton took third for Ferrari. Hamilton had started on the front row on dry tyres but lost places in the wet before recovering through the field as conditions improved. Russell, who had been running third, retired with five laps remaining after an apparent power-unit failure during a late safety car period. Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar fifth. The win was a major boost for Red Bull and marked Verstappen’s return to the top step at Sepang, where he had also been the most recent winner before the circuit left the Formula One calendar in 2017. The Bahrain Grand Prix was held in Malaysia because the United States-Israel war on Iran had disrupted the international sports calendar. Formula One’s next stop is Singapore, which is scheduled to host a night race and sprint the following weekend.

Max Verstappen won a rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, giving Red Bull its first victory of the 2026 season. The race began more than 90 minutes late after heavy rain, and further confusion over the starting order and technical problems prolonged the wait. Two safety cars followed the retirements of Valtteri Bottas and Alex Albon. Verstappen, who had taken pole position, lost the lead before the first turn but recovered through the race, aided by Red Bull’s pit-stop decisions and a switch to intermediate tyres. He finished less than two and a half seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli’s second place increased his championship advantage over teammate George Russell to 84 points with seven races remaining. Russell’s engine failed with five laps to go, dealing a major blow to his title hopes. Lewis Hamilton produced a notable recovery for Ferrari. An incorrect tyre choice at the wet start saw him fall to 18th, but he worked his way through the field and passed Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar for third with three laps left. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, while Hadjar placed fifth after slipping from a potential podium position. Oscar Piastri was sixth, followed by Liam Lawson; the article lists “Fernando Norris” in eighth for Aston Martin. Verstappen praised his team’s work and described the race as hectic, while Antonelli called second place the maximum Mercedes could achieve. Hamilton credited the pit crew and celebrated the atmosphere at Sepang. The article notes the event had been rescheduled from April and moved to Malaysia because of the continuing conflict in the Middle East.