Max Verstappen led every meaningful part of the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, taking pole, the win and the fastest lap at a circuit Formula 1 had not visited in nine years.
Kimi Antonelli finished second and Lewis Hamilton third, while the race's most eye-catching drive came from the back of the grid.
Verstappen controls the first race at Sepang since 2017
The Sepang International Circuit last held a Grand Prix in 2017, and it returned to the calendar this year carrying the Bahrain Grand Prix name. Verstappen treated it like a circuit he had never been away from: pole on Saturday, the lead into the first corner and a 2.307-second margin at the flag.
Behind him the order barely moved at the front. Antonelli came through from third to second, Hamilton slipped from second to third, and Charles Leclerc held fourth from fourth. It was a quiet afternoon by the standards of this season.
The exception was Arvid Lindblad, who started twenty second and last, and finished tenth. Twelve places gained was comfortably the biggest move of the race and earned Racing Bulls a point they had no reason to expect. Isack Hadjar was the other notable climber, fifth from eighth.
The day's biggest loss belonged to George Russell, who started seventh and retired on lap 49. He was one of only three cars not to finish, which made this one of the cleaner races of the year.
2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia full classification
Every finishing position, the grid slot it came from and the points it was worth.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Grid | Time / Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1 | 1:47:14.808 | 25 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 3 | +2.307 | 18 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 2 | +4.919 | 15 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 4 | +7.258 | 12 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 8 | +8.571 | 10 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 6 | +9.454 | 8 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 11 | +12.753 | 6 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 12 | +13.372 | 4 |
| 9 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 5 | +13.993 | 2 |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 22 | +15.928 | 1 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 15 | +17.404 | 0 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 14 | +18.052 | 0 |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 21 | +18.997 | 0 |
| 14 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 16 | +22.305 | 0 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 17 | +22.532 | 0 |
| 16 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 9 | +23.315 | 0 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 13 | +25.431 | 0 |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 10 | +28.233 | 0 |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 20 | +29.310 | 0 |
| 20 | George Russell | Mercedes | 7 | Retired, lap 49 | 0 |
| 21 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 18 | Retired, lap 41 | 0 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 19 | Retired, lap 7 | 0 |
Nineteen of the twenty two starters finished on the lead lap. Verstappen also took the extra point for the fastest lap.
How the championship looks after Sepang
Antonelli's second place extended his lead rather than shrinking it, because Russell scored nothing. Mercedes still lead the constructors' standings comfortably, but Ferrari took 27 points out of the weekend through Hamilton and Leclerc.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 320 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 236 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 214 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 191 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 188 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 188 |
| Pos | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 556 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 405 |
| 3 | McLaren | 316 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 298 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 90 |
| 6 | Alpine | 68 |
| 7 | Haas | 27 |
| 8 | Audi | 17 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
The win was Verstappen's second of the season and lifted him level with Lando Norris on 188 points. The full weekend, including every previous result at this circuit, is on the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix results page.
