Red Bull's Max Verstappen ended his winless run to claim his first F1® victory of the season on Sunday at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Max Verstappen claims first win of season in chaotic Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Verstappen started from pole at the Sepang International Circuit but initially lost the lead to Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in a rain-affected race that was delayed by more than 90 minutes. The four-time world champion fought his way back to the front after the restart and pulled clear to take his first win of the 2026 campaign.
Antonelli finished second to extend his lead in the F1 drivers' championship, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton completed the podium after a remarkable recovery drive. Hamilton started second but dropped as low as 18th after Ferrari's decision to start on slick tyres backfired in the damp conditions.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, who started third before serving a five-place grid penalty. McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, McLaren's Lando Norris and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top 10.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Russell, who was running third late in the race before a suspected power-unit failure forced him to retire with five laps remaining. Williams' Alex Albon and Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas were the other drivers who failed to finish the chaotic race at Sepang.
