Max Verstappen has taken his and Red Bull’s first victory of the 2026 season after a rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, while Kimi Antonelli increased his championship lead when Mercedes team-mate George Russell retired late in the race.
Formula 1 reported that Verstappen won by 2.307 seconds from Antonelli after a disrupted 56-lap contest at Sepang International Circuit. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium for Ferrari, 4.919 seconds behind the winner, having recovered from an early fall down the order after starting on slick tyres in wet conditions.
The official report said heavy rain and a thunderstorm before the start transformed the expected tyre picture. The race was delayed, while the start procedure was also suspended after several drivers struggled to maintain speed on the formation lap. Once the race began, differing decisions between intermediate and slick tyres created an unsettled opening phase.
Verstappen recovers after losing the lead
Formula 1 said pole-sitter Verstappen lost positions to Antonelli and Russell on the run to Turn 1, despite all three beginning on intermediate tyres. He regained ground by passing the Mercedes drivers either side of a Safety Car period prompted by Valtteri Bottas spinning out.
According to Formula 1, that interruption gave the intermediate runners an opportunity to switch to slick tyres. Drivers who had begun on dry-weather compounds had been caught out by the wet circuit, while the anticipated further rain did not arrive before the chequered flag.
Verstappen then moved into the lead and, Formula 1 reported, established control at the front. A late Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car sequence did not prevent him from taking a first win of the campaign for both himself and Red Bull.
Motorsport reported that Verstappen told the post-race interview he had suffered a temporary lack of power at the start. The specialist outlet said he credited Red Bull’s intermediate-tyre choice and described the start as very hectic.
Hamilton and Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc had both started on slick tyres and dropped towards the back, Formula 1 reported. Their recoveries brought them third and fourth respectively, ahead of Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull. Oscar Piastri finished sixth for McLaren, followed by Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso.
Antonelli’s lead grows as Russell stops
Antonelli’s second place carried significant championship consequences. Formula 1 reported that Russell stopped on the start-finish straight behind the final Safety Car, having been running third, and that the retirement added to the Briton’s already limited title prospects.
BBC Sport reported that Russell retired with five laps remaining and described the problem as a suspected engine issue. It said Antonelli’s result had extended his lead over Russell to 84 points, with either six or seven races remaining.
RaceFans listed Antonelli on 320 points after the race and Russell on 236. Its standings placed Hamilton third on 214, while Verstappen and Lando Norris were level on 188. RaceFans also stated that 183 points remained available in the drivers’ championship.
The final Safety Car restart also affected Norris. Formula 1 reported that the McLaren driver lost control behind the Safety Car, ran through the gravel and finished ninth. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad took the final point in 10th.
Formula 1 listed Bottas, Russell and Alex Albon as the three retirements. Albon’s stoppage had caused the late Safety Car, while Bottas’s earlier spin had created the first major interruption of the race. Verstappen’s victory nevertheless put Red Bull back on the top step after a weekend in which changing weather and start complications repeatedly reshaped the order.