Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula One victory of the 2026 season after winning a rain-affected race at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.
The event, officially run as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia because of the Middle East security situation, was delayed for more than 90 minutes by heavy rain.
Verstappen converts pole into victory
Verstappen started from pole but briefly lost control of the race during the changing conditions. He regained the lead after a safety-car period and stayed ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli to the finish.
Antonelli finished second for Mercedes, 2.307 seconds behind Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton recovered from an early tyre gamble that dropped him deep into the field to take third for Ferrari.
Russell’s title challenge takes a hit
George Russell retired with a suspected power-unit problem five laps from the finish while running in a podium position. His retirement widened the championship gap to Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri. The official Formula 1 classification confirmed Verstappen, Antonelli and Hamilton as the top three.
Sources: Formula 1 official race classification; Reuters, Oct. 4, 2026.
