Verstappen wins rain-hit Bahrain GP for first 2026 victory
22:47, 04/10/2026, SundayU: Update: 23:00, 04/10/2026, Sunday
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Max Verstappen won the rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday, securing his and Red Bull Racing's first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season, while Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli strengthened his drivers' championship lead with a runner-up finish and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th to claim third.
Heavy rain delayed the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix and forced drivers to begin on intermediate tires before a carefully timed switch to slick compounds as the Malaysian circuit dried. Verstappen, who started from pole position, initially lost ground to Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as the Silver Arrows seized the advantage in the treacherous early laps.
Hamilton fights back as Russell retires
Lewis Hamilton suffered a dramatic drop to 18th place after Ferrari's gamble to switch him to slick tires in wet conditions backfired, though the seven-time world champion mounted a relentless recovery drive to pass Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and secure the final podium spot. Russell was running third when a power unit failure forced his retirement five laps from the end, extending Antonelli's championship lead to 84 points with seven rounds remaining in the season.
Final classification
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth ahead of Hadjar in fifth, while McLaren's Oscar Piastri took sixth and Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson secured seventh place ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso. The Formula 1 season moves to the Marina Bay Street Circuit for next weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.