From Motorsport · Motorsport.com staff writers · · 2m
Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Verstappen Wins, Russell Fails
Max Verstappen secures Red Bull's first win this year as George Russell's title hopes collapse in Malaysia.
In brief
Max Verstappen secures Red Bull's first win this year as George Russell's title hopes collapse in Malaysia. Max Verstappen won the Malaysia Grand Prix for Red Bull, avoiding a first winless year since 2015, while George Russell's championship lead was wiped out by an engine failure. Originally reported by Motorsport.
Red Bull avoids first winless year since 2015
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing secured their first win this year after a chaotic start to the Bahrain GP in Malaysia.
“Red Bull’s progress with its final upgrade package of the year has not been limited to the Baku City Circuit.”
Verstappen dominates Malaysia race
Verstappen passed George Russell on intermediates and overtook Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the restart to secure victory.
“He managed to pass Russell on intermediates, added an overtake on Antonelli at the restart and then proved to be in a class of his own.”
Mercedes upgrade package under scrutiny
Mercedes introduced a new aero package but its performance remains unclear amid rough tarmac and heat conditions.
“The form table in Malaysia looked inconclusive because the extremely rough tarmac, making Sepang an outlier on the calendar.”
Russell's title bid ends in Malaysia
George Russell's Mercedes engine failed during the race, ending his championship lead after a late safety car restart.
“The British driver’s Mercedes came to a halt just before Turn 1 and his race was run.”
Alonso delivers Aston Martin's best result
Fernando Alonso secured an 10th place finish for Aston Martin, marking their third points finish this season.
“It was only the third time an Aston Martin had finished in the points this year, with Alonso delivering on each occasion.”
Formation lap chaos exposes F1 flaws
Multiple cars suffered software glitches during wet formation laps, causing a red flag and extended delays in the race.
“Serious questions need to be asked of how this happened and how it can be solved.”
Mercedes still believes upgrade works
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff stated the new aero package works but needs more understanding of its performance.
“We still believe that the upgrade works, we just need to understand why not here.”
Red Bull's performance improves
Red Bull's final upgrade package proved effective at Sepang, matching Mercedes' pace throughout the race.
“At Sepang, the Verstappen-Red Bull combination proved to be the benchmark for the first time this season.”
Russell's championship lead widens
George Russell's championship lead was extended to 84 points after his engine failure in Malaysia.
“All Russell could do was watch Antonelli bag another healthy haul of points, even if he didn’t beat Max Verstappen to victory.”
F1 faces wet race challenges
F1's new regulations faced issues during wet formation laps, causing delays and safety concerns.
“It is time for F1 to accept there were failings that could have been avoided and learn from this incident.”
Alonso's Aston Martin performance
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll achieved their best results for Aston Martin in 2026 with a top-10 finish.
“The Spanish two-time world champion ultimately converted that into 10th place on merit and later into eighth.”
Red Bull's winless year avoided
Red Bull avoided a first winless year since 2015 after securing a victory in Malaysia.
“He managed to pass Russell on intermediates, added an overtake on Antonelli at the restart and then proved to be in a class of his own.”
What it means
Max Verstappen won the Malaysia Grand Prix for Red Bull, avoiding a first winless year since 2015, while George Russell's championship lead was wiped out by an engine failure.
