# 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. - Title: Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Verstappen Wins, Russell Fails - Summary: 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… - Keywords: max verstappen, red bull racing, george russell, mercedes, bahrain gp, malaysia, championship, engine failure, formula 1, sports, cars, Bahrain - Source: Motorsport — https://motorsport.com/f1/news/five-quick-takeaways-from-bahrain-gp-in-malaysia/10861841 - Author: Motorsport.com staff writers - Published: 2026-10-04T10:24:50+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: max verstappen, red bull racing, george russell, mercedes, f1, bahrain gp, malaysia, championship, engine failure, formula 1, sports, cars ## 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. ## Key takeaway 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.