RED Bull’s Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the season at the rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday following a race start delayed by over 90 minutes due to treacherous track conditions at the Sepang International Circuit.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli crossed the line in second for Mercedes, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton produced a stirring comeback drive to finish third, claiming his first podium since Silverstone.
Mercedes driver George Russell, who was running third and challenging for the lead, suffered heartbreak when a suspected power unit failure forced his retirement with just five laps remaining.
The race commenced with a standing start on lap two after several drivers, including Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto, pitted early for intermediate tyres, while the Silver Arrows of Antonelli and Russell made rapid getaways to lead the opening exchanges.
Verstappen systematically hunted down the leaders as track conditions dried, executing a clean pass around the outside of Antonelli at Turn 1 following a lap-nine Safety Car deployment triggered by Valtteri Bottas stranded in the gravel.
Despite a mid-race Virtual Safety Car that briefly handed Antonelli the lead during pitstop sequences, Verstappen reclaimed command and controlled the final four-lap sprint following a late restart.
Behind the podium finishers, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth after charging through the field, followed by Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar in fifth and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in sixth. - October 4, 2026
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