From BBC Sport · · 3m
Verstappen wins chaotic Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Max Verstappen claimed his first win of 2026 at a rain-affected Sepang, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th to third and Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead.
In brief
Max Verstappen claimed his first win of 2026 at a rain-affected Sepang, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th to third and Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead. Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on October fourth, twenty twenty-six, his first victory of the season, after a chaotic race…
Verstappen dominates to first win
Max Verstappen secured his first win of the two thousand twenty-six season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. He was dominant in qualifying for pole position but had a poor start before recovering to control a hugely difficult race.
Antonelli extends championship lead
Kimi Antonelli finished second at Sepang and extended his championship lead to eighty-four points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell. The Ferrari strategy gamble that backfired for Hamilton worked better for Antonelli.
Hamilton's recovery from 18th
Lewis Hamilton recovered from eighteenth place to finish third after Ferrari's decision to start on slick tyres sent him tumbling from the front row. He fought all the way back to the podium and passed Isack Hadjar after the final safety car.
Russell's podium hopes end
George Russell retired from the grand prix while running in third place with a power unit failure with five laps remaining. He had made an excellent start and run inside the top three for virtually the entire afternoon.
Leclerc salvages fourth for Ferrari
Charles Leclerc suffered the same early tyre nightmare as team-mate Hamilton after Ferrari's slick tyre strategy backfired. He recovered impressively through the field to finish fourth and ensured Ferrari salvaged a huge result from the disastrous strategy.
Hadjar battles despite penalty
Isack Hadjar qualified third fastest but an engine penalty dropped him to eighth on the grid. He had a great battle with Hamilton even though he lost out to Leclerc denying him fourth at the end.
Piastri's pit lane gamble pays off
Oscar Piastri made the right early call to abandon slick tyres and start from the pit lane on intermediate tyres. He recovered to sixth place and comfortably beat team-mate Lando Norris on a day when keeping everything clean counted for plenty.
Lawson's wet weather mastery
Liam Lawson just missed Q three but made a sensational start in the wet conditions, gaining seven positions and briefly running fourth. He eventually brought his Racing Bulls home in seventh in one of his strongest races of the year.
Alonso's Aston Martin breakthrough
Fernando Alonso reached Q two on merit and converted twelfth on the grid into an excellent eighth-place finish. Aston Martin finally showed some signs of life and Alonso made sure to capitalise in comfortably the team's best result for some time.
Norris's costly final restart mistake
Lando Norris qualified ahead of Piastri and was right behind his team-mate before the final restart, only to lose control behind the safety car and run through the gravel. The avoidable mistake dropped him to ninth in a frustrating weekend.
The short version
Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on October fourth, twenty twenty-six, his first victory of the season, after a chaotic race featuring tyre strategy gambles and multiple safety cars.
