Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday, October 4, taking his 72nd Formula 1 win after an eventful race featuring multiple restarts and Safety Car periods.
Starting from pole position, the Red Bull driver had to deal with several challenges around the Sepang circuit but managed to stay ahead of the field through the different phases of the race to secure his first win of the 2026 season.
Kimi Antonelli made a strong start from third on the grid after Isack Hadjar’s grid penalty for an engine change moved him up a position. The championship leader immediately took the lead at the start but was overtaken by Verstappen at the first restart.
Antonelli remained in contention for the podium throughout the race and eventually finished second. His main championship rival and teammate George Russell, however, suffered a late retirement on Lap 50 because of an engine problem.
The result means Antonelli has extended his advantage over Russell from 66 to 84 points, strengthening his position at the top of the drivers’ championship.
Ferrari recovers after difficult start
Ferrari endured a difficult opening to the race after strategy mistakes put both drivers on the back foot, but the team recovered strongly in the second half.
Lewis Hamilton eventually finished third, with Charles Leclerc following in fourth to give Ferrari a double top-four finish.
McLaren also had a difficult race, although Oscar Piastri managed to salvage sixth place ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in seventh.
Fernando Alonso delivered Aston Martin’s best finish of the season in eighth, scoring four points and giving the team a welcome boost after a difficult campaign.
Lando Norris finished ninth for McLaren, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.
Another one for the history books for Verstappen
The victory was Verstappen’s 72nd in Formula 1, all of them coming with Red Bull.
It also saw the Dutchman rewrite the record for the longest gap between back-to-back victories at the same circuit. Verstappen had previously won at Sepang in 2017, when the venue last hosted a Formula 1 race, before returning to the top there nine years later with Sunday’s victory.
The nine-year gap between his two wins surpasses the previous record held by Nigel Mansell, who won at Kyalami in 1985 before returning to victory at the South African circuit in 1992.
The championship now moves to another Asian venue, with the Singapore Grand Prix scheduled for October 9-11.
