Max Verstappen wins rain-hit Bahrain GP in Sepang ahead of Kimi Antonelli

Delayed start and formation lap failures

The 16th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season took place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, serving as the relocated venue for the Bahrain Grand Prix due to the Middle East conflict. Heavy monsoon rain fell 30 minutes before the scheduled 15:00 local start, prompting the FIA to send the medical car onto the track to evaluate standing water. Race control initially delayed the start until 15:40 local, but several cars suffered electronic and software glitches while driving at slow speeds behind the safety car on the formation lap. Lewis Hamilton stopped entirely on the track before moving again, leading race officials to order all cars back to the pit lane for software resets. The race eventually began at 16:33 local, an hour and 40 minutes behind schedule, using the original qualifying grid.

Diverging tyre strategies at the start

Max Verstappen entered the race from pole position after clocking 1:35.130 in qualifying on Saturday, outpacing Hamilton by 0.298 seconds. Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar had qualified third but took a five-place grid penalty for changing power unit components, promoting Kimi Antonelli to third, Charles Leclerc to fourth, Lando Norris to fifth, and Oscar Piastri to sixth, with George Russell starting seventh. At the start, the field divided between intermediate and dry tyres on the damp asphalt. Antonelli and Russell made rapid progress on intermediate rubber, overtaking Verstappen before turn one to establish an early Mercedes one-two. Hamilton, Leclerc, and Fernando Alonso started on soft dry tyres, causing Hamilton to drop to 18th place and fall nearly 52 seconds behind the leaders.

Verstappen takes control on drying track

Verstappen mounted a recovery on intermediate tyres, overtaking Russell before chasing Antonelli for the lead. On lap nine, Valtteri Bottas spun his Cadillac into the gravel, bringing out the safety car and prompting most drivers to pit for slick tyres as the asphalt dried. Verstappen passed Antonelli on the restart and established a steady lead that he maintained through the middle phase of the Grand Prix. The win marked Verstappen's first victory of the 2026 campaign and his first win at Sepang since the 2017 edition.

After the race, Verstappen credited the team's tactical execution during the opening phase.

I am very proud of everyone. It was terrible, a lot of things happened to us, but we made the right choice with the intermediate tyres.

Late retirements and championship impact

Russell was running in third place when a suspected power unit failure forced him to retire under a late safety car with five laps remaining. That triggered a four-lap sprint to the finish, where Hamilton completed his drive from 18th place by overtaking Hadjar for the final podium position. Leclerc passed Hadjar with two laps remaining to secure fourth place, with Hadjar finishing fifth and Alonso claiming eighth. Antonelli crossed the line in second place, increasing his championship total to 320 points and opening an 84-point lead over Russell with seven rounds remaining. Hamilton ranks third in the championship with 214 points, while Verstappen sits sixth with 188 points heading into the next round in Singapore.